Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 


Atnex 


Our   Devoted    Friend 
The    Dog 


BY 

SARAH    KNOWLES    BOLTON 

Author  of  "Every  Day  Living,"  "Girls  Who  Became 

Famous,"  "  Boys  Who  Became  Famous,"  "  Famous 

Types  of  Womanhood,"  "The  Inevitable,  and 

Other    Poems,"      "A    Country    Idyl," 

"  Social  Studies  in   England,"  etc. 


Illustrated 


"  If  I  had  my  way  I  should  abolish  all  dog  laws 
and  dog  catchers :"  £  UGENE  FIELD. 


BOSTON 
L.    C.    PAGE   fef    COMPANY 

MDCCCCII 


DF  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 


Copyright,  iqoz 
BY  L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPORATED) 


All  rights  reserved 


Colonial  $h-;-a : 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &  Co. 
Boston,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


TO 

MY   LITTLE   GRANDSON 

l&notolte  Bolton 

AND 
HIS   DOG  TIM 


Preface 

IN  the  past  two  years  I  have  made  clippings  from  a 
few  newspapers — how  many  more  thousands 
could  have  been  obtained — showing  the  devo- 
tion, bravery,  and  intelligence  of  animals,  especially 
dogs  and  cats.  Dogs  have  saved  people  from  drown- 
ing, houses  from  burning,  died  of  grief  for  their  loved 
ones,  and  yet  all  over  the  country  our  laws  concerning 
these  faithful  creatures  are  brutal. 

We  tax  them  out  of  all  proportion  to  their  money 
value.  We  let  them  starve  and  freeze  with  no  apparent 
interest,  and  if  homeless,  or  an  unjust  tax  is  not  paid, 
we  encourage  theft  and  cruelty  by  offering  twenty-five 
cents  apiece  to  have  them  caught  on  the  streets  and 
taken  to  dog  pounds,  or  we  empower  police  or  societies 
to  kill  them  by  poison,  or  gun,  or  the  fumes  of  sulphur 
or  gas.  Lost  creatures,  petted  and  fondled  by  some 
child,  instead  of  being  buried  after  death  are  thrown 
into  garbage  wagons,  with  no  thought  of  tenderness,  or 
decency. 

We  care  for  idiots  and  insane  and  dissolute,  and  for- 
get creatures  of  rare  intelligence,  temperate  and  trust- 
worthy. We  arrogate  to  ourselves  the  thought  that 
we  alone  of  all  created  things  have  souls,  and  that  we 
alone  can  enter  heaven.  How  do  we  know  all  this? 

We  cruelly  destroy  birds  by  the  millions  for  our  per- 
sonal adorning;  we  let  cats  starve  on  the  streets  be- 


Preface 

cause  we  do  not  wish  to  have  any  cares ;  we  wantonly 
hurt  and  leave  dying  on  the  great  plains  thousands  of 
buffaloes;  we  kill  by  savage  methods  elephants  whose 
intelligence  seems  sometimes  above  the  human;  we 
are  horrified  at  bullfights,  yet  we  tear  deer  and  foxes 
and  rabbits  to  pieces  with  dogs  in  so-called  "  sport." 
Are  we  forever  to  go  on  without  mercy  for  our  dumb 
friends  ? 

My  thanks  are  due  Mrs.  Frances  A.  Moulton  of 
New  York  city,  and  Mrs.  F.  B.  Powell  of  Woodstock, 
Vt,  for  clippings  sent  me;  also  Mr.  Eugene  Glass, 
editor  of  The  Dog  Fancier,  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  and 
the  editors  of  Pets  and  Animals,  Springfield,  Ohio, 
for  photographs. 

SARAH  K.  BOLTON. 


Table   of  Contents 


PAGE 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings 13 

Dogs  Save  from  Drowning 37 

Dogs  Save  from  Fire 49 

Dogs  Save  from  Burglars 67 

Dogs  Save  Life 74 

Dogs  Guard  their  Dead 107 

Gratitude  of  Dogs 116 

Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other 141 

Faithfulness  of  Dogs 167 

Dogs'  Love  of  Home 184 

Dogs  Commit  Suicide 193 

Intelligence  of  Dogs 202 

Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals 285 

Hospitals  for  Dogs 345 

Cemeteries  for  Dogs 355 

Homes  for  Animals 376 

Cruel  Laws  about  Dogs 400 

How  to  Care  for  Animals 423 

Our  Duty  to  Animals 442 


List   of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

Laddie,  St.  Bernard,  owned  by  Mr.  John  D.  Rockefeller         .  Cover 

Stanwood  and  His  Dog  Tim Frontispiece 

\.   Dog  Cemetery  at  Hawarden  Castle.  —  2.  Gladstone  and  His 

Dog  Petz 14 

i.  Duke  of  Somerset,  owned  by  the  late  Dr.  E.  W.  Bovett. — 

2.  Dr.  Bovett,  Duke,  and  His  Thoroughbred  Colt,  Baby        .       19 

i.  Monument  to  Charles  Gough.  —  2.  Monument  to  Jack,  owned 

by  Dr.  H.  H.  Kane,  New  York  City  (p.  362)  .         .         .         .31 

i.  Moorlander,  Skye  Terrier,  owned  by  Mr.  George  Caverhill, 
Montreal.  Never  exhibited  without  winning  a  prize.  — 
2.  Champion  Nubian  Rebel,  Brown  Pomeranian,  Swiss 
Mountain  Kennels,  Germantown,  Pa.  Won  thirty-two  first 
prizes  in  England,  and  about  the  same  number  in  America.  37 

St.  Bernard  Puppies  and  Yorkshire,  owned  by  Mr.  W.  C,  Fyfe, 

Montreal,  Canada 49 

Madam  Spitz  and  Her  Second  Family  of  Puppies,  owned  by  Mrs. 

F,  W.  Toedt,  Hamburg,  Iowa 67 

Rob  Roy  McGregor,  Collie,  owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Bayard, 

wife  of  former  ambassador  to  Great  Britain    .        .        .  76 

i.  Greyfriars'  Bobby  (p.  28).  —  2.  Philo,  owned  by  Colonel  H.  C. 
Page,  Bayonne,  N.  J.  (p.  338).  —  3.  Gip,  owned  by  Mrs. 
Charles  H.  Shephard,  Dorchester,  Mass.  —  4.  Jack,  owned  by 
Mrs.  Adele  Horwitz  Stevens,  Hoboken,  N.  J.  (p.  336)  .  .  84 

i.  Great  Dane,  Champion  Major  McKinley.  First  prizes  in  many 
cities,  formerly  owned  by  South  Bend  (Ind.)  Kennels. — 
2.  Little  Son  of  Gilson  Willets  and  Curly,  prize  St.  Ber- 
nard.—3.  Gladys  Cummings  and  Her  English  Terrier, 
Xenia,  O.  —  4.  Little  Girl  and  Her  Faithful  Dog  Jumbo, 
owned  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Fedder,  Cleveland,  0 107 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 


Collie,  owned  by  Mr.  Halsey  D.  Miller,  Cleveland,  O.   .        .         .121 

Susanne  and  Anonymous,  Arctic  Sledging  Dogs,  owned  by  Mr. 

Walter  Wellman 130 

I.  Sultan,  owned  by  Mrs.  L.  M.  N.  Stevens,  President  N.  W.  C. 
T.  U.  (p.  149).  — 2.  Challifond  Hero,  owned  by  Prof.  R.  D. 
Bohannan,  Columbus,  O.,  winner  of  first  prize  among  thirty- 
three  collies  at  New  Orleans ;  also  prize  at  Philadelphia,  New 
York,  St.  Louis,  and  Kansas  City  ......  143 

I.  Prince  and  Polly,  owned  by  Mr.  Gary  Carpenter,  Bolton,  Conn. 
—  2.  Toss,  owned  by  Mr.  Charles  R.  Zacharias,  Asbury  Park, 
N.  J.  (p.  225) 159 

Kittie  and  Bernie,  both   owned  by  the  author.     A   remarkable 

friendship 163 

I.  Queen  A.,  Fawn-colored  Greyhound,  prize  winner,  owned  by 
Mr.  O.  R.  Cannon,  Shawnee,  Oklahoma.  —  2.  Champion 
Irish  Setter,  Lord  Lismore,  winner  of  seventeen  first  prizes, 
owned  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Wall,  Auburn  Park,  111.,  and  said  to  be 
worth  $20,000 184 

I.  "Big  Four."  —  2.  Ted,  a  Trick  Dog,  standing  with  the  "Big 

Four,"  all  owned  by  Mr.  James  Christie,  Escanaba,  Mich.      .     211 

I.  Rover  and  His  Master,  Harry  Spence,  Wisconsin.  —  2.  Caesar, 

owned  by  J.  and  W.  Koebler,  Cleveland,  O.  (p.  210).      .        .     228 

I.  Ginger,  owned  by  Mr.  Henry  C.  Buchanan,  Trenton,  N.  J.  (p. 
218).  —  2.  Roy,  owned  by  Miss  Mildred  Sherman,  Syracuse, 
N.  Y 242 

Schnapsie,  owned  by  Mrs.  Herbert  Allingham,  London,  England .     258 

I.  Dandy,  owned  by  Capt.  A.  S.  Paige,  Brookline,  Mass.  (p.  273). — 

2.  Sergeant  Jack  and  the  Boston  Police 270 

I.  Leon,  owned  by  Mr.  Thomas  Biskit,  Norwich,  Conn.  (p.  208). — 
2.  Waldo  and  Sampson,  owned  by  Mrs.  Ada  H.  Kepley, 
Effingham,  111.- 272 

I.  Owney,  the  U.  S.  Mail  Dog.  —  2.  Joe  Hart,  owned  by  Mr.  E. 

H.  Hart,  Meridian,  Miss.  (p.  276) 282 

Mrs.  Cushman  K.  Davis  and  Her  Russian  Terrier  Bebe'e       .         .     296 

Nio,  Russian  Wolfhound,  owned  by  Mr.  Charles  A.  Post,  Cleve- 
land, 0 298 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

i.  Julia  Marlowe  and  Taffy  (Courtesy  of  Miss  J.  L.  Gilder,  editor 

of  The  Critic).  —  2.  Anna  Chapin  Ray  and  Glencoe       .         .     302 

I.  Queen  Victoria  with  One  of  Her  Dogs.  —  2.  Queen  Alexandra 

with  One  of  Her  Pets .     304 

Fluffie,  whom   Queen   Victoria   Petted   on    Her    Dying   Bed   at 

Osborne  House       .........     306 

i.  Wang,  Chow  Dog  from  China,  owned  by  the  Gordon  Boys' 
Orphanage,  Dover,  England. —  2.  "Chums,"  Don  and  Tit- 
willow,  owned  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Palmer,  Natick,  Mass.  (p.  330)  .  320 

i.  Beveryck  Punster,  Fox  Terrier,  a  prize  winner. —  2.  Drummer. 
—  3.  Gentleman  Joe,  all  owned  by  Mrs.  A.  D.  Campbell, 
Denver,  Colo 330 

i.  Ponto,  St.  Bernard,  owned  by  Mr.  Frank  P.  Marsh,  New  York 
City.  —  2.  Champion  Alton  II.,  Smooth  St.  Bernard,  winner 
of  thirty-two  prizes,  value  $5,000,  owned  by  Mr.  Dudley  E. 
Waters,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich 342 

Monuments  in  the  Paris  Cemetery  for  Dogs,  lie  des  Ravageurs    .     358 
Two  Views  of  Dogs'  Cemetery,  Victoria  Gate,  Hyde  Park,  London     363 

i.  Little  Belle,  Yorkshire  Terrier,  owned  by  Miss  Irene  Ackerman, 
New  York  City.  —  2.  Dot,  Black  and  Tan,  owned  by  Mr.  W. 
V.  Babcock,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y 367 

I.  Button,  French  Poodle,  owned  by  Miss  L.  C.  Thayer,  Indian- 
apolis. —  2.  Mrs.  Mary  O.  Elster,  founder  of  the  Frances 
Power  Cobbe  Refuge 382 

i.  Noted  French  Bulldogs  from  Shawmut  Kennels,  New  York 
City.  —  2.  First  Prize  Collies,  Verona  Selection,  Champion 
Old  Hall,  Admiral,  and  Champion  Heather  Mint,  owned  by 
Mr.  James  Watson,  New  York  City 400 

I.  Imported  Blenheim  Spaniel,  Champion  Rollo,  winner  of  156 
prizes,  owned  by  Miss  L.  C.  Moeran,  New  York  City.  — 
2.  White  Maltese  Terriers.  First  prize  winners  ;  pronounced 
the  best  in  America,  owned  by  Miss  Josie  Newman,  Kansas 
City,  Mo. 414 

i.  Norna,  Deerhound  (value,  $5,000),  with  children  of  the  owner, 
Mr.  W.  D.  Griscom,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Holder  of  the  United 
States  championship  for  several  years.  —  2.  Scamp,  Deer- 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

hound  (value,  $5,000),  owned  by  Von   H.  G.  G.  Pickering, 
Minnedosa,  Manitoba,  winner  of  many  first  prizes  .        .        .     423 

I.  Champion  Loki,  Pug  Dog  (value  $5,000),  winner  of  fifty  prizes, 
bred  and  owned  by  Mr.  Al.  G.  Eberhart,  Camp  Dennison,  O. 
—  2.  L'Ambassador  II.,  Bulldog  (value  $5,000),  winner  of. 
many  prizes,  owned  by  Mr.  Eberhart. — -3.  Champion  Valenza, 
Italian  Greyhound,  always  a  prize  winner,  owned  by  Dr.  F.  H. 
Hoyt,  Sharon,  Pa. 429 

I.  Boston  Terrier,  Escape,  prize  winner,  owned  by  Mr.  A.  M. 
Sherwood,  Joliet,  111.  —  2.  Nig,  King  Charles  Spaniel,  ov/ned 
by  Mr.  Walter  Reppert,  Burlington,  Iowa.  —  3.  American 
Bloodhound  Puppy,  owned  by  Mr.  H.  M.  Ramsay,  Houston* 
Texas.  —  4.  Willoughby  Pug,  Trip,  a  prize  winner,  owned  by 
Miss  Ella  E.  Noble,  Santa  Barbara,  CaL  ....  440 


Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 


CHAPTER  I 
Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings 

THE  devotion  of  a  dog  is  the  same  in  the  homes 
of  the  rich  and  the  poor.  He  licks  the  hand 
of  a  millionaire  in  a  house  of  luxury,  or  goep 
to  jail  with  a  wanderer  or  a  drunkard,  and  sleeps  on 
the  hard  floor  of  a  police  station.  He  listens  with  ears 
alert  for  the  kind  voice  of  the  master  who  loves  him, 
and  sits  dejected  under  curses,  offering  no  response  to 
the  harshness.  Recently,  a  drunken  man  was  arrested 
for  kicking  his  dog  and  breaking  his  ribs,  so  that  the 
poor  creature  had  to  be  shot.  Before  the  man  was  taken 
to  prison  the  dog  crawled  to  him  and  licked  his  boots. 
Would  any  human  being  do  this? 

The  affection  of  dogs  is  one  of  the  strongest  reasons 
why  they  should  receive  every  kindness  from  man, 
rather  than  death  at  his  hands,  because  homeless  or 
unlicensed. 

The  recorded  instances  of  the  death  of  dogs  through 
grief  are  many.  Petz,  the  last  favorite  of  Mr.  Glad- 
stone, is  an  example.  There  were  always  several  dogs 
at  the  lovely  home  at  Hawarden,  who  walked  with  the 
great  man  in  his  rambles  over  valley  and  hill,  and  slept 


14        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

at  his  feet  as  he  studied  and  wrote.  Petz  was  a  black 
Pomeranian,  Gladstone's  constant  companion  for  the 
last  ten  years  of  his  life.  "  In  the  dining-room,"  says 
a  writer  in  the  Strand  Magazine  for  December,  1898, 
"  he  expected  his  biscuit  from  the  master's  hand ;  in 
the  drawing-room  he  reposed  before  the  fire,  in  sociable 
mood;  at  St.  Deniol's  library,  when  Mr.  Gladstone  sat 
reading  in  the  corner  and  no  one  dared  disturb  him, 
Petz,  when  he  considered  that  the  horses  must  be  kept 
waiting  no  longer,  pushed  his  little  cold  nose  against 
the  master's  hand,  and  suggested  an  immediate  ad- 
journment of  the  sitting.  Petz's  vitality  and  energy 
seemed  inexhaustible." 

As  the  end  drew  near  for  Mr.  Gladstone,  he  was 
urged  to  go  to  Cannes  in  the  south  of  France  for  the 
winter.  Petz  was  sent  to  the  home  of  his  daughter 
Mary  the  wife  of  Rev.  Harry  Drew,  where  he  could 
romp  with  the  bright  little  granddaughter,  Dorothy. 
But  the  faithful  creature  could  not  be  pacified.  He 
pined  for  his  master,  refused  to  eat,  and  was  returned 
to  Hawarden  the  very  day,  March  23,  that  Gladstone 
came  back.  It  was  too  late  to  save  the  broken  hearted 
creature,  who  died  of  grief. 

Petz  lies  buried  in  the  dogs'  cemetery  on  the  estate 
not  far  from  Hawarden  Castle.  "  A  great  old  oak 
overshadows  the  spot,  the  ruins  of  the  old  castle  are 
seen  on  the  opposite  hill,  and  down  in  the  dale  the 
rapid  stream  is  gurgling  its  way  along  towards  the 
waterfall  and  the  fishponds." 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  these  small  mounds, 
and  over  each  of  them  is  placed  a  simple  granite  stone 
with  an  inscription.  One  of  these  stones,  the  largest, 


z.  DOG  CEMETERY  AT  HAWARDEN  CASTLE.  —  2.  GLADSTONE  AND 
His  UOG  PETZ. 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings     i  5 

dates  back  twenty  years.  It  was  placed  there  in  1878 
in  memory  of  three  favorite  dogs,  who  died  within  a 
few  weeks  of  each  other  and  are  here  buried.  "  Mosses 
have  crept  around  the  stone,  tall  grasses  wave  over  it. 
and  the  leverets  play  their  baby  games  about  it.  It  is 
getting  somewhat  difficult  to  make  out  the  second  part 
of  the  inscription  on  this  stone,  but  we  had  the  valuable 
assistance  of  an  old  village  dame  whose  husband  had 
been  a  woodman  on  the  estate,  and  who  knew  every 
nook  and  corner  in  the  park.  She  showed  us  how  by 
dint  of  a  little  rubbing  and  scouring  the  text  might  be 
laid  bare.  It  was  this :  '  When  Thou  hidest  Thy  face 
they  are  troubled,  when  Thou  takest  away  their  breath 
they  die,  and  are  turned  again  to  their  dust.' 

"  Next,  there  is  a  small  stone,  with  no  other  inscrip- 
tion than  this:  'Toby,  1881,'  but  our  friendly  guide 
remembers  Toby  well.  '  She  was  a  dear  little  dog,  and 
a  great  pet  with  the  ladies/  she  tells  us,  and  then,  by 
contrast,  she  points  to  another  stone,  on  which  the  writ- 
ing is  still  quite  distinct :  '  Sheila.  Died  July  7th, 
1886,'  and  below,  '  Ask  now  the  reason,  and  they  shall 
teach  thee.'  Sheila,  it  seems,  was  one  of  the  biggest 
dogs  that  ever  was  made  a  pet  of  at  Hawarden  Castle, 
and  '  everybody  was  afraid  of  the  creature,'  we  learn. 

"  There  is  one  other  little  gravestone.  '  Peggy, 
1884,'  is  engraved  upon  it.  Then  comes  the  grave  of 
little  Petz.  .  .  .  This  evening  in  May  only  a  small 
wreath  of  moss  lies  on  the  hillock  under  the  old  oak, 
and  someone  has  scattered  a  handful  of  blue  hyacinths 
and  rosy  rhododendrons  on  the  brown  soil.  A  robin  is 
singing  in  the  white  hawthorn,  the  sunset  flames  in  the 
sky,  and  we  leave  the  graveyard  in  its  silent,  sunny 


1 6         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

peace."  The  headstone  of  Petz  bears  this  inscription : 
"  Petz.  Born  at  Schwalbach,  1886;  died  at  Hawar- 
den,  March  27,  1898.  Mr.  Gladstone's  favorite  dog. 
Faithful  unto  death." 

When  Emile  Zola  was  in  prison  in  France  for  the 
part  he  took  in  the  Dreyfus  case,  when  the  whole  world 
read  and  acted  as  judges  to  save  an  innocent  man  from 
disgrace  and  death,  the  little  dog  of  the  novelist 
mourned  and  waited  at  home  for  his  master.  Week 
after  week  passed  with  no  release,  and  finally  the  faith- 
ful creature  died  without  seeing  the  one  who  had  petted 
and  loved  him  as  a  devoted  friend. 

Leland  Stanford,  Jr.,  for  whom  the  great  University 
in  California  is  named,  the  heir  of  many  millions,  was 
very  fond  of  animals.  Mrs.  Sallie  Joy  White  tells 
this  story  of  him.  "  One  day,  when  he  was  about  ten 
years  of  age,  he  was  standing  looking  out  of  the  win- 
dow, and  his  mother  heard  a  tumult  outside,  and  saw 
Leland  suddenly  dart  out  of  the  house.  Presently  he 
reappeared  covered  with  dust,  holding  a  homely  yellow 
dog  in  his  arms.  Quick  as  a  flash  he  was  up  the  steps 
and  into  the  house  with  the  door  shut  behind  him,  while 
a  perfect  howl  of  rage  went  up  from  the  boys  outside. 
Before  his  mother  could  reach  him  he  had  flown  to  the 
telephone,  and  summoned  the  family  doctor.  Think- 
ing from  the  agonized  tones  of  the  boy  that  some  of 
the  family  had  been  taken  suddenly  and  violently  ill, 
the  doctor  hastened  to  the  house. 

"  He  was  a  stately  old  gentleman,  who  believed  fully 
in  the  dignity  of  his  profession ;  and  he  was  somewhat 
disconcerted  and  a  good  deal  annoyed  at  being  con- 
fronted with  a  very  dusty,  excited  boy,  holding  a 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    17 

broken-legged  dog  that  was  evidently  of  the  mongrel 
family.  At  first  he  was  about  to  be  angry;  but  the 
earnest,  pleading  look  on  the  little  face,  and  the  perfect 
innocence  of  any  intent  of  discourtesy,  disarmed  the 
dignified  doctor,  and  he  explained  to  Leland  that  he 
did  not  understand  the  case,  not  being  accustomed  to 
treating  dogs,  but  that  he  would  take  him  and  the  dog 
to  one  who  was.  So  they  went,  doctor,  boy,  and  dog. 
in  the  doctor's  carriage  to  a  veterinary  surgeon,  the  leg 
was  set,  and  they  returned  home.  Leland  took  the 
most  faithful  care  of  the  dog  until  it  recovered,  and  it 
repaid  him  with  a  devotion  that  was  touching." 

A  few  years  later  while  fitting  for  Yale  College, 
Leland  traveled  abroad  with  his  parents.  While  in 
Athens  he  contracted  the  fever,  and  died  at  Florence 
two  months  before  his  sixteenth  birthday.  The  death 
was  crushing  to  his  parents,  whose  hopes  and  lives 
were  centered  in  their  only  child.  They  brought  his 
body  back  to  Palo  Alto,  and  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 
November  27,  1884,  in  a  sarcophagus  of  white  Carrara 
marble,  they  laid  him  inside  his  tomb. 

The  little  yellow  dog  had  been  waiting  impatiently 
for  the  return  of  his  beloved  young  master.  When  he 
came,  there  was  something  wrong,  and  the  poor  crea- 
ture knew  it.  After  the  body  had  been  placed  in  the 
tomb  the  dog  lay  down  in  front  of  the  door  and  could 
not  be  coaxed  away  even  for  his  food.  One  morning 
he  was  found  there,  dead,  and  was  buried  near  the 
youth  who  had  been  his  protector  and  friend.  It  was 
a  sorrow  without  words  or  tears,  but  it  was  unbearable 
and  death  alone  could  end  it. 

The    New   York   papers    of   August,    1897,    tell    this 


1 8         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

pathetic  story  of  a  Newfoundland  dog,  Kaiser.  When 
his  master,  Jacob  Wohle,  of  Carlstadt,  New  Jersey, 
died  and  was  placed  in  his  coffin,  the  big  dog  remained 
beside  it,  and  when  it  was  taken  to  the  cemetery,  ac- 
companied it.  He  realized  that  his  master  was  there, 
and  would  not  leave  the  grave  for  a  whole  day.  Then 
after  much  coaxing  he  returned  home. 

He  whined  constantly,  and  visited  the  grave  daily. 
Possibly  he  thought  the  master  would  come  back  to 
meet  him  there — perhaps  he  really  knew  what  death  is, 
and  that  there  is  no  return.  The  family  tried  to  make 
friends  with  him,  but  he  was  too  overcome  with  grief. 
He  ate  little,  and  finally  refused  altogether.  One 
morning,  after  two  weeks,  seemingly  hopeless,  he  made 
his  lonely  mile  pilgrimage  as  usual,  to  the  grave  of  the 
man  he  loved.  To  be  near  him  was  the  only  comfort. 
In  the  afternoon,  the  family  thought  Kaiser  stayed 
away  longer  than  usual  and  went  to  the  cemetery. 
There  they  found  the  noble  creature  by  his  owner's 
grave,  dead  of  a  broken  heart.  Others  might  miss  the 
absent  member  of  the  household,  and  be  sad  and  dis- 
consolate, but  to  Kaiser  the  loss  was  irreparable.  No 
one  could  take  his  place.  Death  was  better  than  sepa- 
ration. 

Kaiser  was  buried  tenderly  by  those  who  loved  him 
for  his  own  sake,  and  for  his  devotion  to  his  master. 

A  friend  tells  me  of  a  dog  belonging  to  her  father, 
who  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and  so  badly  hurt  that 
he  died  after  three  days  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  leav- 
ing a  wife  and  unborn  child.  He  was  buried  in  the 
private  cemetery  of  the  family,  on  their  own  land.  It 
was  a  great  shock  to  the  young  wife,  and  hard  to  be 


I.  DUKE  OF  SOMERSET,  owned  by  the  late  Ur.  E.  W.  Bovett. —  2.  DR. 
BOVETT,  DUKE,  AND  His  THOROUGHBRED  COLT,  BABY. 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    19 

borne,  but  the  faithful  dog,  the  inseparable  companion 
of  horse  and  rider,  rebelled  against  the  decree  of  fate. 
He  howled  incessantly,  determined  to  find  his  dead 
master,  and  spent  a  whole  night  digging  down  to  the 
coffin,  to  awaken. the  one  whose  face  he  longed  to  see 
once  more,  and  whose  familiar  and  beloved  voice  he 
must  hear  again. 

A  Denver,  Colorado,  paper  has  the  following  ac- 
count of  Duke  a  St.  Bernard  dog,  owned  by  a  well- 
known  veterinarian  of  that  city.  "  The  most  loving 
friend  Dr.  E.  W.  Bovett  ever  had  never  shed  a  tear 
or  said  a  word  when  the  doctor's  cold,  white  body  was 
taken  from  Bowles  Lake,  October  26,  1898,  in  whose 
icy  waters  life  had  left  it.  But  this  loving  friend  died 
this  morning  at  3  :3O  o'clock  grieving  for  him. 

"  It  was  Duke,  or  by  his  full  and  rightful  title,  Duke 
of  Somerset.  A  dog  of  royal  blood,  son  of  Lord  Alton, 
and  grandson  of  the  great  Sir  Bedivere.  His  lineage 
was  perfect  with  no  mongrel  cross  or  stain  to  mar  it. 
His  good  breeding  showed  as  plainly  in  his  conduct  as 
in  his  face  and  majestic  carriage.  No  finer  gentleman 
ever  trod  the  streets  of  Denver,  and  there  never  was  a 
nobler  heart  than  that  which  throbbed  beneath  the 
shaggy  coat  of  this  great  St.  Bernard. 

"  Whenever  and  wherever  it  was  permissible  Duke 
trod  beside  his  master.  When  it  was  impracticable  to 
have  him  a  word  was  sufficient.  Duke  walked  patiently 
back  to  his  kennel  in  the  stable  at  No.  1430  Curtis 
street  and  waited,  his  solemn  eyes  watching  for  the 
return  of  his  master,  and  when  he  came  Duke's  wel- 
come was  sure,  for  Duke's  vigil  was  tireless.  Stand- 
ing nearly  three  feet  in  height,  his  grand  face  showing 


2O         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

plainly  the  white  and  red  markings  and  noble  linea- 
ments of  his  ancestor,  his  huge  body,  firm  pose,  and 
plume-like  tail,  he  made  a  picture  that  would  make  the 
artist  instinctively  reach  for  his  brush.  He  was  the 
ideal  dog,  the  perfect  specimen  of  his  race. 

"  The  day  following  the  death  of  his  master,  Duke 
began  to  show  great  uneasiness.  He  ran  back  and 
forth  about  the  stable  yard,  and  gazed  wistfully  into 
the  face  of  Dr.  F.  W.  Hunt,  who  had  taken  charge  of 
the  establishment,  and  then  sought  out  T.  Broderick, 
who  had  assisted  Dr.  Bovett  for  years,  and  on  whom  he 
turned  his  eloquent  eyes  so  anxiously,  so  questioningly, 
that  Mr.  Broderick  turned  away  his  own  swimming 
eyes.  As  the  days  went  by,  his  master  still  missing, 
Duke's  anxiety  became  frantic,  his  whines  and  plead- 
ing eye-questions  piteous. 

"  '  I'm  going  to  take  him  down  to  the  undertaker's 
and  let  him  see  the  body,  maybe  he  will  understand, 
poor  fellow,'  said  Mr.  Broderick,  the  day  before  the 
funeral. 

"  '  Take  him,'  assented  Dr.  Hunt. 

"  Duke  did  not  understand  what  was  meant  when  a 
chair  was  placed  for  him  beside  one  of  the  long  gloomy 
boxes  at  the  undertaker's,  but  he  climbed  upon  the 
chair  when  told  to  do  so,  for  obedience  was  one  of  his 
strong  traits  of  character.  Then  while  he  watched 
curiously,  the  lid  of  the  coffin  was  removed. 

"  What  was  that  down  there  rigid  and  white  in  the 
satin  cushions,  strange  and  yet  familiar?  Not  Duke's 
master,  so  still?  But  yes,  it  was.  Duke  bent  his  head 
low  down  over  it  and  gazed  eagerly.  Yes,  it  was  he, 
and  yet  there  was  something  about  him  that  sent  a 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    21 

chill  to  Duke's  heart.  What  was  it?  Again  Duke 
gazed  and  now  his  ears  cocked  happily.  His  master 
was  asleep;  that  was  it!  One  touch  of  that  lolling, 
affectionate  tongue  and  he  would  awake  and  pat  his 
head  and  say  the  old  fond  nothings  which  were  the 
very  life  of  Duke. 

"  The  dog  leaned  down  still  further  and  licked  the 
upturned  face,  then  started  back  affrighted.  Cold,  ir- 
responsive; something  had  happened  to  his  master. 

"  Duke  knew  nothing  of  death.  He  licked  his 
master's  face  again — and  then  he  knew.  Deep  down 
in  his  white  soul  where  grew  affection  and  obedience, 
nothing  else,  he  knew  that  the  end  had  come;  that  the 
being  to  whom  in  loving  slavery  he  had  bound  himself 
forever  would  know  him  no  more ;  would  never  fondle 
of  talk  to  him  again.  That  was  all  he  realized,  but  that 
was  enough.  Propping  back  in  the  chair,  throwing 
back  his  noble  head,  he  gave  vent  to  his  grief  in  hollow 
howls  that  were  too  piteous  to  be  borne.  He  had  to  be 
dragged  away  from  the  place. 

"  Next  day  he  tried  to  follow  to  the  funeral,  but 
was  gently  led  back  to  the  stable,  where  he  lay  down, 
and  dropping  his  huge  head  between  his  paws,  gave  up 
and  waited  for  the  end.  It  came  eight  days  later — 
this  morning.  All  sorts  of  dainties  were  brought  to 
him  by  old  friends  who  knew  his  tastes. 

"  Beef  hearts  prepared  in  a  way  he  had  particularly 
liked  was  offered  him.  At  such  times  he  merely  lifted 
his  melancholy  eyes  to  the  face  of  the  giver  for  a  mo- 
ment, looked  his  thanks,  and  dropped  his  head  again. 

"  Every  day  he  walked  around  to  all  the  places  that 
the  doctor  had  frequented,  hopelessly,  to  be  sure,  but 


22         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

evidently  with  a  faint  notion  that  maybe,  maybe,  his 
master  might  come  back. 

4<  '  Poor  old  fellow !  '  they  would  say  to  him  at  the 
Tabor  barber  shop,  and  pat  him  kindly. 

"  '  Poor  old  dog! '  was  what  he  heard  at  Findlay's 
stables,  at  George  Walker's,  and  at  other  places  he 
visited.  But  he  would  not  eat. 

"  Dr.  Hunt  sat  up  with  him  and  nursed  him  as  if 
he  had  been  an  ailing  infant. 

"  At  3  130  this  morning  Duke  gave  a  moan  that  was 
hardly  more  than  a  sigh,  and  went  out  into  the  infinite 
in  search  of  his  master. 

"  Will  he  find  him  ?  " 

The  New  York  Herald,  February,  1900,  tells  this 
incident : 

"  Not  long  ago  a  young  woman  in  this  city,  who 
owned  a  Gordon  setter  that  was  very  fond  of  her,  was 
married,  and  moved  to  Lakewood.  The  dog  was  left 
behind,  and  at  once  became  inconsolable.  He  would 
eat  nothing,  and  stood  looking  out  of  the  window  for 
hours  at  a  time,  whining  and  moaning  pitifully.  The 
dog  was  wasting  away  from  exhaustion.  Those  who 
knew  him  said  he  was  dying  of  a  broken  heart.  When 
it  was  seen  that  he  would  die  if  he  could  not  see  his 
mistress  he  was  taken  to  her.  His  joy  at  seeing  her 
was  extravagant,  and  he  at  once  got  better.  His  mis- 
tress came  to  New  York  for  a  two  weeks'  visit,  and  left 
the  dog  with  the  servants  in  Lakewood.  When  she 
returned  she  found  him  dead,  lying  on  one  of  her  gar- 
ments. The  poor  brute,  thinking  himself  again  de- 
serted, lay  down  to  die,  and  could  not  be  driven  or 
coaxed  from  his  place,  neither  would  he  eat  nor  drink." 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings     23 

London  Black  and  White  has  a  pathetic  sketch  by 
Lester  Ralph,  its  special  correspondent,  called  4>  The 
Faithful  Terrier."  At  the  battle  of  Graspan,  in  the 
war  between  England  and  the  Boers,  1899-1900, 
Major  J.  H.  Plumbe  of  the  royal  marine  light  infantry, 
was  among  the  many  killed  while  storming  the  main 
kopje.  He  had  a  pet  dog,  a  terrier,  which  ran  up  the 
hill  with  him  under  the  fiercest  fire.  When  he  fell,  the 
dog  sat  down  and  guarded  his  body  until  the  ambu- 
lance removed  it  six  hours  later.  "  The  pathos  of  the 
situation,"  he  writes,  "  baffles  description." 

The  New  York  Times  tells  this  touching  incident  of 
the  love  of  a  deserted  dog  for  a  dead  child : 

"  When  a  small  dog,  ragged  and  soiled,  sat  on  the 
steps  of  244  West  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh 
street  last  night  and  howled,  a  policeman  rushed 
up. 

"  '  What's  the  matter  with  that  dog  ?  '  he  asked,  and 
none  of  the  crowd  of  children  who  stood  by  said  a 
word. 

"  '  Who  owns  him  ?  '  still  nobody  said  a  word. 

"  Just  then  a  woman  came  up.  She  knew  all  about 
the  dog.  A  family  had  lived  in  the  house,  and  the 
little  dog  had  been  the  pet  of  a  curly-haired  child.  But 
the  child  died,  and  when  the  family  moved  they  left 
the  dog  behind.  '  'Cause,'  said  the  woman,  '  the  dog 
reminded  them  of  the  baby.' 

"  '  Didn't  they  want  to  remember  the  baby  ? '  the 
policeman  wanted  to  know. 

"  The  woman  did  not  know  how  that  was,  but, 
anyway,  she  said  the  dog  was  left,  but  he  came  every 
few  days  to  sit  on  the  steps  where  he  had  formerly  sat 


24         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

with  the  little  child,  and,  although  the  tenants  drove 
him  away,  he  always  came  back. 

"  The  policeman  looked  at  the  animal,  thought  a  mo- 
ment and  remarked:  'He's  mad/  And  the  woman 
said,  '  May  be  he  is.' 

"  So  the  policeman  shot  him  and  the  children  kicked 
the  body  into  the  street." 

A  young  man  twenty-six  years  old,  in  New  York, 
accompanied  by  his  little  fox-terrier,  acted  queerly  at 
the  corner  of  Forty-fifth  street  and  Second  avenue  one 
evening.  Some  said  he  was  overcome  with  the  heat, 
and  others  thought  he  was  intoxicated.  When  the 
children  annoyed  the  man,  the  dog  flew  at  them  and 
bit  them.  Then  a  policeman  decided  to  arrest  the  man. 
but  the  dog  sprang  at  him,  and  bit  him.  The  faithful 
creature  was  defending  his  owner,  whether  worthy  or 
unworthy,  but  the  policeman  shot  him,  and  took  his 
master  to  jail. 

Little  Mary  O'Brien,  eight  years  old,  says  the  New 
York  World,  February  n,  1900,  went  over  to  the 
church  to  have  her  prayer-book  blessed,  and  her  big 
Newfoundland  dog,  Nero,  went  with  her.  He  had 
been  her  inseparable  companion  for  five  years,  and 
never  allowed  harm  to  come  to  her,  while  he  accom- 
panied her  to  school  and  went  after  her  when  school 
was  over.  They  two  had  reached  the  corner  of  Sixth 
avenue  and  Eighteenth  street,  she  holding  on  to  his 
brass  collar,  when  she  was  run  over  by  a  sewing  ma- 
chine wagon  and  fatally  injured.  After  the  accident, 
the  dog  rushed  back  to  her  home,  moaning  dismally, 
The  servant  opened  the  door  and  he  rushed  up  stairs, 
barking  and  howling.  The  mother  patted  him  on  the 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    25 

head,  when  he  jumped  up  and  licked  her  face,  then 
seized  her  dress  in  his  teeth  and  dragged  her  out  of 
the  room.  As  soon  as  she  reached  the  sidewalk  she 
was  told  that  little  Mary  had  been  taken  to  the  New- 
York  Hospital  by  the  driver  who  hurt  her.  He  could 
not  press  through  the  crowd,  so  a  policeman  took  her 
in  his  arms,  and  ran,  but  nothing  could  save  her.  She 
was  dying. 

It  was  hard  to  get  Nero  home,  away  from  his  dead 
playmate.  He  would  not  eat,  lay  on  the  mat  outside 
the  children's  room,  and  refused  to  be  comforted. 

An  unhappy  young  wife  committed  suicide  in  No- 
vember, 1898,  in  New  York  city.  She  wished  to  ride 
on  her  wheel,  and  was  forbidden  by  a  cruel  husband. 
When  her  body  was  found,  her  pet  spaniel,  Nellie,  was 
on  her  breast,  whining  piteously  and  licking  her  hand. 
She  left  a  note  to  the  man  saying,  "  Take  care  of  Nellie 
for  me." 

Great  Caesar,  a  great  Dane  dog  costing  $250,  came 
from  Ulm,  Germany,  when  he  was  two  years  old,  and 
became  the  pet  of  William  Texter,  the  proprietor  of 
Ulmer  Park,  and  of  his  wife,  for  eight  years.  Some 
months  ago,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Texter  left  Great  Caesar  at 
Ulmer  Park  in  charge  of  an  employee.  The  dog  pined, 
refused  to  eat,  and  was  inconsolable.  He  would  not 
lift  his  paw  to  shake  hands  as  was  his  custom.  Dr. 
R.  B.  Rageman  of  New  York  city  was  called  in  and 
said  Great  Caesar  was  dying  of  a  broken  heart. 

The  Youth's  Companion  relates  this  incident : 

"  The  Duke  of  Hamilton  had  a  favorite  bulldog, 
called  Dumpling,  who  used  to  accompany  his  master 
on  his  daily  walks  or  drives.  One  day,  however,  the 


26         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

duke  left  Dumpling  at  home,  and  took  a  younger  dog 
with  him.  From  the  moment  that  Dumpling  saw  his 
rival  get  into  the  carriage  and  drive  off  he  refused  to 
eat,  and  began  to  pine. 

"  A  dog  doctor  was  summoned,  but  failed  to  detect 
any  symptoms  of  illness.  At  length  he  asked  whether 
anything  unusual  had  happened  to  disturb  the  dog's 
routine  of  life.  The  servant  then  told  him  how,  for 
the  first  time,  Dumpling  had  been  left  behind  by  his 
master. 

"  '  I  can  do  nothing  for  him ! '  exclaimed  the  doctor. 
'  The  poor  fellow's  heart  is  broken.' 

"  Dumpling  never  recovered  from  the  blow  to  his 
affections,  and  in  a  short  time  died  of  grief." 

The  New  York  World,  June  5,  1898,  tells  this  story 
of  the  murderer  of  a  helpless  old  man  and  woman  who, 
as  he  lay  condemned  to  death  in  prison,  cursing  chap- 
lain, warden,  turnkeys,  all  who  came  near,  softened 
only  to  a  half-starved  yellow  cur  that  had  somehow 
wandered  into  the  prison  yard.  He  took  the  dog  in  his 
arms.  "  Let  me  have  him,"  he  said.  "  He  at  least 
won't  shrink  from  me.  There's  a  sympathy  between  us. 
He  never  had  a  chance  in  life;  neither  have  I.  He's 
fighting  his  battle  alone ;  so  am  I.  Everybody's  hand's 
against  him,  and  everybody's  hand's  against  me. 
We're  fit  to  be  together.  I  wouldn't  exchange  this 
dog  for  all  the  men  I  ever  met." 

And  thus  through  the  weeks  that  followed  man  and 
dog,  companions,  remained  together  in  the  little  cell, 
and  the  dog  shrank  not  from  the  caress  of  the  hand  that 
had  struck  down  the  two  aged  beings. 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    27 

The  day  came  when  the  murderer  was  to  be  led  out 
to  be  hanged,  and  the  dog  fought  with  those  who  tried 
to  hold  him  back.  He  beat  at  the  cell  door  with  his 
paws.  Then  for  many  days  and  nights  he  lay  in  the 
cot  on  which  the  murderer  had  slept,  moaning  for  the 
loss  of  the  only  friend  that  he  had  known  and  re- 
fusing all  food  and  drink.  The  moaning  ceased  one  day, 
and  they  found  that  he  was  dead.  He  had  starved  him- 
self to  death. 

Mr.  M.  J.  Van  Name  disappeared  from  the  home  of 
his  son-in-law,  Mr.  W.  A.  Sloane,  in  Port  Richmond, 
S.  I.,  on  January  8,  1900.  His  St.  Bernard  dog, 
Beauty,  was  heart  broken,  after  he  left.  His  daughter 
writes  me,  March  7 :  "  The  dog  refused  to  eat  for  two 
weeks,  just  grieving  himself  to  death;  was  so  weak  he 
could  scarcely  walk.  He  would  walk  up  and  down 
in  front  of  the  house,  expecting  my  father  to  come  and 
feed  him.  They  were  inseparable.  We  have  to  coax 
him  every  day  to  eat.  He  is  still  very  weak,  but  we 
hope  to  save  him.  Like  a  person,  he  is  heart  broken.  If 
you  could  see  him  you  would  love  him,  he  is  so  hand- 
some and  affectionate."  Nothing  has  been  heard  of 
the  father.  "  Every  clue,"  she  says,  "  has  been  care- 
fully followed  up  by  us  with  relatives  and  friends,  but 
it  has  so  far  amounted  to  nothing.  Still  we  pray  and 
hope  that  good  news  may  yet  come." 

When  Mrs.  Kate  Burns  of  Lexington  avenue,  New 
York,  went  to  the  room  of  Daniel  Higgins,  a  veteran 
of  the  civil  war,  seventy  years  old,  March  24,  1900,  she 
found  him  lying  dead  on  the  floor.  His  old  dog  Prince 
was  standing  over  him,  sadly  licking  the  face  of  his 


28         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

master,  either  to  waken  him,  or  to  show  his  affection. 
Mr.  Higgins  was  a  gardener  in  Central  Park,  and  had 
boarded  with  Mrs.  Burns  for  several  years. 

Duke,  a  St.  Bernard  belonging  to  Mr.  George  H. 
Nichols  of  Montclair,  N.  J.,  defended  the  three  chil- 
dren of  his  master  in  March,  1900,  from  what  he  sup- 
posed to  be  abduction.  Asking  a  friend  for  a  ride  in  his 
sleigh,  it  was  gladly  accorded,  but  as  soon  as  the  chil- 
dren clambered  in,  Duke  became  furious,  bit  the  friend, 
tore  his  clothes,  and  when  he  was  whipped  off,  he 
nipped  the  horse  on  the  leg.  The  children  seeing 
Duke's  strange  actions  got  out  of  the  sleigh,  when  he 
jumped  about,  licked  their  faces,  and  showed  extreme 
joy  that  they  were  not  to  be  carried  away.  The  little 
girl  cried,  in  her  fright,  but  Duke  crouched  beside  her 
and  comforted  her. 

Eva  Blantyre  Simpson,  in  Chambers  Journal  for 
March,  1900,  tells  this  true  story  of  the  devotion  of 
Grey  friars'  Bobby :  "  For  not  paying  his  annual  seven 
shillings  of  tribute,  another  Edinburgh  dog  first  came 
into  notoriety  by  appearing  in  Court  in  1867.  Sum- 
moned along  with  him  was  a  compassionate  restaurant- 
keeper,  who  was  accused  of  '  harbouring  '  the  dog,  for 
he  had  fed  the  desolate  beast,  who  sat  among  the  tombs 
which  the  windows  of  his  house  overlooked.  The  dog 
and  his  human  friend  were  tried  before  three  magis- 
trates, who  seasoned  the  law  with  mercy.  After  hear- 
ing Bobby's  story  they  forgave  him  for  not  paying  his 
rates,  and  so  saved  him  from  drinking  a  Lethean 
draught.  Bobby's  master,  one  Gray,  died  in  1858,  and 
his  chief — nay.  almost  only — mourner  was  his  shaggy 
terrier,  who  refused  to  leave  his  grave  in  Greyfriars' 


i 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    29 

Churchyard.  In  vain  was  he  hourly  driven  out.  Bobby 
stubbornly  returned  to  the  spot  where  he  had  seen 
his  master's  coffin  laid.  He  loitered  for  years  with  in- 
effaceable memory  round  the  soon  effaced  mound  over 
the  humble  grave.  Bobby's  trial  made  him  notorious. 
The  Baroness  Burdett  Coutts  visited  Greyfriars,  and 
saw  the  Highland  mourner  sitting  patiently  watching 
the  sacred  spot.  Mr.  Gourlay  Steel  painted  the  leal 
little  terrier.  The  masterless  dog,  fed  on  charity,  had 
by  an  irony  of  fate  great  length  of  days  granted  to  him, 
and  when  his  lease  of  life  ended,  he  like  his  master, 
was  buried  in  Greyfriars'  Churchyard.  At  the  street 
corner,  near  by  the  churchyard  gate,  a  granite  foun- 
tain, with  an  effigy  of  the  dog  sitting  on  guard,  bears 
the  inscription,  "  Greyfriars'  Bobby,  from  the  life, 
just  before  his  death.  A  tribute  to  the  affectionate 
fidelity  of  Greyfriars'  Bobby.  In  1858  this  faithful 
dog  followed  the  remains  of  his  master  to  Greyfriars' 
Churchyard,  and  lingered  near  the  spot  until  his  death 
in  1872.  With  permission  erected  by  the  Baroness 
Burdett  Coutts." 

The  Rev.  F.  O.  Morris,  in  Dogs  and  their  Doings, 
adds  still  further  to  the  account  of  this  faithful  Scotch 
terrier.  James  Brown,  the  old  curator  of  the  burial- 
ground,  remembered  poor  Gray's  funeral  and  said  the 
dog  was  the  most  conspicuous  mourner.  After  Bobby 
had  lain  shivering  in  the  cold  and  wet  for  three  days 
on  the  grave,  James  took  pity  on  him  and  gave  him 
some  food.  He  never  spent  a  night  in  all  those  years 
away  from  his  master's  grave.  In  bad  weather  when 
the  attempt  ,was  made  to  keep  him  in  doors,  he  howled 
so  dismally,  that  he  was  allowed  to  have  his  way.  For 


30         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

many  years  he  was  regularly  fed  by  Mr.  John  Trail,  of 
the  restaurant,  6  Greyfriars  Place.  Bobby  knew  when 
Sunday  came,  and 'that  the  restaurant  was  closed,  so 
he  saved  during  the  week  old  scraps  of  food,  and  hid 
them  beneath  a  tombstone,  near  the  grave  where  he 
kept  watch  for  so  many  years.  He  knew  the  time  for 
his  midday  meal  by  the  firing  of  the  time-gun.  While 
sitting  for  his  portrait  in  Mr.  Steel's  studio,  Bobby  on 
hearing  the  time-gun  got  quite  excited  and  refused  to 
be  pacified  until  supplied  with  his  midday  meal. 

Rev.  Mr.  Morris  tells  the  following,  among  many 
instances  of  devotion :  "  Donald  Macdonald,  who  had 
been  a  shepherd  for  some  years  with  Mr.  Sutherland, 
at  Tannachy,  near  Fochabers,  died  lately,  and  left  a 
favorite  collie,  devotedly  attached  to  its  master.  When 
Donald  was  lying  in  his  coffin,  the  faithful  dog  was 
observed  to  stand  up  and  place  his  paws  on  the  edge  of 
the  coffin.  He  gazed  for  a  considerable  time  on  the 
face  of  his  deceased  owner,  as  if  taking  a  final  fare- 
well, and  he  accompanied  the  funeral  procession  to  the 
burial  ground  at  Chapelford,  in  the  Enzie,  a  distance 
of  four  miles  from  his  master's  residence.  Two  days 
after,  the  poor,  disconsolate  animal  was  observed 
scraping  upon  the  grave,  and  the  mound  had  been  so 
far  cleaned  out  that  the  coffin  was  exposed.  The  de- 
voted collie  was  removed  with  difficulty,  and  has  since 
then  formed  an  uncommon  attachment  to  the  sexton." 

"  A  gentleman  was  obliged  to  go  a  journey  periodi- 
cally. His  stay  was  short,  and  his  departure  and  re- 
turn were  true  to  the  appointed  time.  The  dog  was 
always  uneasy  when  he  first  lost  his  master.-^nd  moped 
in  a  corner,  but  recovered  gradually  as  the  time  for 


i.  MONUMENT  TO  CHARLES  GOUGH.  —  2.  MONUMENT  TO  JACK, 
owned  by  Dr.  H.  H.  Kane,  New  York  City  (p  362). 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    31 

his  return  approached;  and  when  he  was  certain  that 
his  owner  \vas  not  far  from  home,  he  bounded  away 
to  meet  him.  At  length  the  old  gentleman  grew  infirm, 
and  incapable  of  continuing  his  journey.  The  dog  by 
this  time  was  also  grown  old,  and  became  at  length 
quite  blind,  but  this  misfortune  did  not  hinder  him 
from  fondling  upon  his  aged  master,  whom  he  knew 
from  all  other  persons.  The  old  gentleman  died.  The 
dog  watched  the  corpse,  blind  as  he  was,  and  did  his 
utmost  to  prevent  the  undertaker  from  screwing  up 
the  body  in  the  coffin.  He  now  grew  disconsolate,  lost 
his  flesh,  and  was  evidently  verging  towards  his 
end." 

The  London  News,  November  22,  1890,  says  that  a 
monument  has  just  been  erected  upon  Helvellyn,  to  the 
memory  of  Charles  Gough.  who  in  the  year  1805,  was 
killed  by  falling  from  the  high  crags  on  the  ridge  that 
joins  Stirling  Edge  to  the  summit.  He  was  returning  to 
Wythburn,  where  he  lodged,  from  a  fishing  excursion 
in  Patterdale.  Probably  a  false  step  during  a  blinding 
hailstorm  or  dense  fog,  caused  his  death,  on  April  18. 
Three  months  afterward  on  July  20,  his  bones  were 
found,  still  watched  by  his  starving  dog,  a  little  yellow 
rough  haired  female  terrier.  She  had  given  birth  to 
puppies  which  were  found  dead  by  the  side  of  the 
corpse.  It  is  believed,  though  unable  to  secure  food 
to  make  milk  for  her  young,  which  died  of  starvation, 
she  maintained  her  own  life  by  bits  of  carrion  sheep 
not  infrequently  found  on  the  hills,  but  she  probably 
had  to  search  far  and  wide.  She  did  not  touch  the 
remains  of  her  master.  She  died  a  few  years  after- 
ward at  Kendal.  Frances  Power  Cobbe  suggested 


32         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

the  monument,  and  her  designs  have  been  carried  out 
by  the  aid  of  the  Rev.  N.  D.  Rawnsley,  Vicar  of  Crosth- 
waite,  erected  by  Jos.  W.  Bromley  of  Keswick.  After 
two  verses  of  Wordsworth's  beautiful  poem,  these 
words  are  cut  on  the  stone :  "In  memory  of  that  love 
and  strength  of  feeling,  this  stone  is  erected." 

The  European  edition  of  the  New  York  Herald 
gives  the  following: 

"  A  touching  story  of  canine  fidelity  is  told  by  the 
Lille  correspondent  of  the  Figaro.  There  lived  at 
Marcq-en-Baroeul,  near  the  busy  manufacturing  city, 
a  little  old  gentleman  who  cared  for  only  two  things 
in  the  world,  his  sister  and  his  dog. 

"  There  'was  nothing  very  remarkable  about  the  dog. 
He  was  a  sort  of  mongrel  terrier,  rejoicing  in  the 
democratic  name  of  Ouat'-Sous,  and  was  indeed  a  very 
plebeian  among  dogs,  but  he  loved  his  master. 

"  A  few  months  ago  the  little  old  bachelor  fell  ill — 
dangerously  ill — and  Ouat'-Sous  was  a  changed  dog. 
He  moped,  scarcely  ate  enough  to  keep  himself  alive, 
and  went  sadly  in  and  out  of  the  sick  room,  with  his 
head  hanging  and  his  tail  between  his  legs.  At  last 
the  little,  old  gentleman  died,  and,  with  his  last  breath, 
he  confided  Quat'-Sous,  standing  wistfully  at  the  foot 
of  the  bed,  to  the  care  of  his  sister,  to  whom  he  left  his 
little  fortune. 

'  The  sister  accepted  Ouat-Sous  as  a  sacred  trust, 
but,  do  what  she  would,  he  still  refused  his  food  and 
moped  and  whined  piteously.  He  was  petted  and 
caressed,  the  choicest  tidbits  were  kept  for  him.  and  at 
last  he  was  tied  up  that  he  might  be  sure  of  taking  his 
meals  at  regular  hours,  but  it  was  all  in  vain. 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    3  3 

"  A  veterinary  was  called  in  and  advised  that  Quat'- 
Sous  should  be  allowed  to  run  loose.  '  The  dog  is  not 
exactly  ill,'  he  said,  '  but  he  is  mourning  for  his  master. 
Let  him  go  out  and  play  with  other  dogs  and  he  will  be 
cured  of  his  melancholy  and  recover  his  health  and 
appetite.' 

'  The  advice  was  followed,  but  the  chain  had 
scarcely  been  unfastened  from  Quat'-Sous'  collar  when 
he  darted  off  like  an  arrow  to  the  cemetery,  a  good 
kilometre  away.  On  reaching  it  he  sniffed  at  all  the 
graves,,  and  at  last  stopped  at  one,  the  grass  on  which 
was  not  yet  green,  and,  after  walking  round  it  two  or 
three  times,  lay  down  on  it.  It  was  his  master's. 

"  Since  then  he  has  not  been  tied  up  again,  and 
never  a  week  passes  without  the  little  terrier  going  to 
the  cemetery  and  spending  some  time  on  the  grave  of 
the  man  he  loved." 

"  The  Figaro  relates  a  touching  souvenir  of  the 
poet  de  Musset,  as  mentioned  by  the  poet's  governess, 
Mme.  Adele  Colin  Martellet,  who  has  just  published 
her  memoirs. 

"  The  poet  had  a  small  dog  named  Marzo.  After 
the  poet  died  the  dog,  supposing  him  absent,  continued 
to  await  his  return  at  the  same  hour  every  evening  for 
a  period  of  seven  years,  when  it  also  died. 

"  Mme.  Martellet's  husband  took  the  dog  to  Auteuil 
to  be  buried,  and  found  some  workmen  engaged  in 
digging  out  a  new  street.  The  faithful  dog  was  buried 
by  the  men,  and  the  street  in  which  the  animal's  re- 
mains were  laid  is  called  the  rue  de  Musset." 

Field  and  Stream,  1898,  tells  this  story  of  the  de- 
votion of  a  setter: 


34         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Last  fall,  I  went  to  North  Carolina  to  shoot,  tak- 
ing Jessie  and  two  other  dogs.  After  the  first  day  out, 
which  proved  to  be  a  very  exhausting  day's  work,  both 
for  myself  and  the  setters,  Jessie  showed  signs  of  dul- 
ness,  and  seemed  to  lose,  all  at  once,  her  dash  and  spirit. 
The  next  day  I  chained  her  in  the  stable.  On  my  re- 
turn, I  hurried  to  let  her  loose  and  examine  into  her 
condition.  I  found  to  my  dismay  that  she  was  a  very 
sick  dog;  her  eyes  were  way  back  into  her  head,  her 
breathing  quick,  and  she  would  eat  nothing,  though  I 
forced  some  extract  of  beef  down  her  throat. 

"  When  I  mounted  my  horse  the  next  morning, 
Jessie  staggered  down  the  steps,  and  I  got  down,  petted 
her,  and  told  her  to  lie  down  on  the  mat  on  the  porch. 
She  looked  at  me  with  a  wistful,  longing  gaze,  that 
puzzled  me  then,  but  was  made  clear  afterwards.  I 
thought  she  would  be  all  right  in  a  few  days,  for  she 
had  been  seriously  sick  several  times,  and  I  rode  gayly 
off.  After  a  splendid  day's  hunt,  my  friend  and  myself 
returned  home.  On  reaching  the  gate,  which  was  an 
unwieldy  affair,  I  got  down  to  open  it.  I  had  led  the 
horses  through,  when  to  my  amazement  I  saw  a  dog 
crawling  towards  me. 

"  '  Jessie! '  I  exclaimed.     '  Can  that  be  Jessie?  ' 

"  As  I  spoke  she  gave  a  whine  of  joy,  and  made  a 
staggering  run,  and  fairly  leaped  into  my  outstretched 
arms. 

"  It  was  her  last  effort.  She  licked  my  hand,  and 
with  a  whimper  of  content,  her  faithful  eyes  glazed, 
and  I  felt  her  form  shiver,  and  thrill,  and  then  stiffen  in 
death.  With  her  keen  instinct  she  knew  that  death 
was  near,  and,  nursing  her  strength,  dragged  her  dying 


Devotion  of  Dogs  to  Human  Beings    35 

form  for  nearly  a  mile,  to  see  her  master  before  she 
died. 

"  Is  there  a  man  on  earth  who  would  not  have 
dropped  a  tear  over  the  dead  body  of  such  faithful 
love?  " 

"  Another  story  showing  the  love  and  devotion  of 
dumb  brutes,"  says  the  Lewiston  (Me.)  Journal,, 
comes  from  Milford,  where  two  little  white  dogs, 
whose  master,  Edward  McDade,  was  drowned  more 
than  a  year  ago,  still  may  be  seen  every  morning  trot- 
ting through  Milford  and  Oldtown  to  the  ferry  landing 
where  their  master  went  into  the  river,  and  then  going 
back  the  four  miles  home,  after  satisfying  themselves 
that  he  has  not  returned." 

"  '  Ted  '  was  only  a  dog.  But  he  was  a  faithful  and 
affectionate  animal,  and  he  is  believed  to  have  died  of 
grief  for  the  death  of  his  owner,  John  Gorman  of  West 
Hoboken.  Gorman  worked  at  the  Weehawken  coal 
docks.  When  Gorman  went  home  at  night  there  was 
always  a  race  between  Gorman's  four  children  and 
'  Ted  '  to  see  which  should  be  the  first  to  greet  him. 
One  day  about  two  weeks  ago  Gorman  met  with  an 
accident.  He  was  crushed  between  two  coal  cars,  and 
was  taken  to  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  Hoboken,  where  he 


"  When  the  body  was  taken  home  '  Ted  '  sat  at  the 
head  o£  the  coffin  and  refused  to  be  driven  away.  When 
the  body  was  taken  to  the  church,  '  Ted  '  followed  the 
funeral  procession,  waiting  patiently  outside  the 
church.  Then  he  followed  his  master  to  the  cemetery. 
He  remained  there  when  the  family  went  home,  but 
returned  to  the  house  shortly  after  sundown. 


36         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Then  he  took  the  place  he  had  occupied  while  he 
sat  beside  the  coffin.  The  children,  whose  grief  was  no 
keener  than  his,  tried  to  induce  him  to  play,  but  he 
would  not  leave  the  place  he  had  selected.  He  also 
refused  to  eat.  Various  kinds  of  meat  were  set  before 
him,  and  he  was  also  tempted  with  saucers  of  milk,  but 
he  would  neither  eat  nor  drink.  On  Thursday  night  he 
died,  and  Mrs.  Gorman  says  he  deliberately  starved 
himself  to  death  through  grief  for  the  death  of  his 
master. 

"  Yesterday  the  four  little  Gorman  children  placed 
: '  Ted's  '  body  in  a  box,  and  buried  it  in  the  garden 
under  a  tree." 


I.  MOORLANDER,  SKYE  TERRIER,  owned  by  Mr.  George  Caverhill, 
Montreal.  Never  exhibited  without  winning  a  prize.  —  2.  CHAM- 
PION NUBIAN  REBEL,  BROWN  POMERANIAN,  Swiss  Mountain 
Kennels,  Germantown,  Pa.  Won  thirty-two  first  prizes  in  England, 
and  about  the  same  number  in  America. 


CHAPTER   II 
Dogs  Save  From  Drowning 

SULTAN,  a  handsome  Newfoundland  dog,  helped 
to  rescue  his  little  friend  Mina  Schumacher, 
on  the  Harlem  River,  September.  1897.  She 
and  her  mother  had  gone  with  a  rowing  party  and  the 
boat  capsized  in  the  Harlem  Ship  Canal,  as  old 
Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  is  now  called.  Young  William 
Harrison,  the  only  one  of  the  party  who  could  swim, 
helped  to  save  Mrs.  Schumacher,  and  his  father,  and 
then  turned  to  little  Mina.  He  could  not  at  first  see 
her,  but  Sultan  had  her  dress  skirt  fastened  between 
his  strong  teeth,  and  was  swimming  toward  the  shore. 
At  first  the  dog  would  not  let  the  young  man  touch  her, 
but  finally  seemed  to  realize  that  he  could  trust  him  to 
help,  as  he  was  Mina's  friend.  William  took  the  child, 
the  dog  swimming  beside  them,  till,  being  nearly  ex- 
hausted, he  grasped  the  long  hair  of  Sultan,  and  the 
dog  towed  them  both  to  land. 

Rex,  a  St.  Bernard,  saved  two  boys  at  Fort  Hamil- 
ton, July,  1899.  Eddie  Ouinn,  aged  eleven  years  and 
his  friend  Charles  Goodwin  of  the  same  age,  were 
bathing  at  the  foot  of  Fifth  street.  The  undertow  car- 
ried them  into  deep  water,  where  they  soon  would 
have  been  drowned.  There  was  no  one  near,  but  the 
intelligent  dog.  Catching  Eddie  by  the  bathing  suit, 
Rex  swam  through  the  surf,  and  laid  the  boy  on  the 


38         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

beach.  Then  he  swam  and  saved  young  Goodwin. 
Mr.  Quinn  had  been  offered  $250  for  Rex,  but  now 
money  could  not  buy  him. 

Lester,  the  seven-year-old  son  of  John  Voorhees,  4 
Bayard  street,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  was  playing 
with  some  companions  on  the  banks  of  the  Raritan 
River,  in  the  middle  of  July.  They  were  throwing 
pieces  of  wood  into  the  stream  for  their  dog  to  bring 
to  shore.  Lester  lost  his  balance  and  fell  into  the  river. 
The  playmates  screamed,  but  were  powerless  to  help. 
The  dog  sprang  into  the  river,  seized  Lester,  and 
brought  him  safely  ashore. 

The  Boston  Beacon,  October  21,  1899,  has  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  A  German  contemporary  describes  the  following 
incident,  which  has  recently  occurred  in  the  district 
of  Samland,  near  Konigsberg.  Two  youngsters — a 
boy  of  ten  and  a  girl  of  eleven  years — were  playing  on 
the  brink  of  a  deep  piece  of  water,  and,  while  trying  to 
reach  a  piece  of  wood,  overbalanced  themselves  and 
fell  into  the  water.  The  dog  began  to  bark,  but  created 
little  attention.  The  animal  then  sprang  into  the 
stream  and  swam  to  the  children.  Seizing  the  clothes 
of  one  with  his  teeth,  he  brought  it  to  the  shore,  and 
plunging  again,  succeeded  in  bringing  the  other  like- 
wise. Then  Jordan,  for  so  the  dog  was  called,  ran  to 
the  manor  house  and  howled.  Thinking  something 
amiss,  the  dog  was  followed  to  the  scene.  The  chil- 
dren were  on  the  shore,  senseless.  When  they  re- 
gained consciousness,  the  dog  began  to  lick  their  faces 
and  hands,  dSid  pranced  about  with  the  utmost  delight. 
The  next  day  the  boy,  apparently  none  the  worse, 


Dogs  Save  From  Drowning  39 

clambered  as  usual  on  the  back  of  the  faithful  St.  Ber- 
nard. But  the  dog  now  took  its  youthful  rider  in  an 
opposite  direction  to  the  water.  Jordan  is  to  be  re- 
warded with  a  brand-new  collar,  with  the  date  of  the 
rescue  engraved  upon  it,  and  will  receive  a  lifelong 
pension  from  the  family  for  his  sagacity." 

Five  years  ago,  A.  A.  Martin  from  New  London, 
Conn.,  was  hunting  on  the  James  River,  above  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  with  his  Newfoundland  dog,  Colored  Boy. 
Hearing  a  cry  of  distress,  the  dog  jumped  over  the  side 
of  the  boat,  swam  out  to  what  proved  to  be  a  man,  and 
brought  him  to  the  shore.  When  consciousness  was  re- 
stored, the  man,  whose  name  was  Jenkins,  offered  to 
buy  the  dog  who  had  saved  his  life,  but  his  owner 
would  not  part  with  him.  Several  times  afterwards, 
the  man  tried  to  buy  the  dog,  but  was  always  refused. 
December,  1899,  Mr.  Jenkins  died,  and  left  to  the 
master  of  Colored  Boy,  $2,000  in  cash  and  other  prop- 
perty,  in  remembrance  of  his  life  being  saved  by  the 
noble  animal.  The  dog  went  with  his  master  to  receive 
the  bequest. 

The  San  Francisco  Chronicle  of  January,  1897,  re- 
cords the  following  noble  deed : 

"  Among  the  many  heroic  deeds  performed  at  the 
wreck  of  the  City  of  Chester,  there  is  one  which  should 
not  go  unrecorded.  Captain  Wallace  had  on  board  the 
Chester  a  large,  finely  built  Irish  setter  dog  named 
Jerry.  Amid  the  general  confusion  which  reigned 
aboard  the  doomed  vessel  Jerry  didn't  get  much  atten- 
tion. He  ran  up  and  down  the  deck  among  the  fright- 
ened people  looking  for  his  friends,  and  being  unable 
to  find  them,  remained  on  board,  and,  according  to  the 


40         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

testimony  of  First  Mate  McCallum,  was  the  last  living 
being  on  the  deck.  He  was  drawn  under  by  the  suction 
when  the  vessel  sank,  but  came  up  again  and  began 
swimming  about  among  the  people  in  the  water.  He 
came  to  a  woman  floating  about  helpless  and  almost 
gone,  and  the  noble  animal  caught  her  dress  in  his 
teeth  and  began  swimming  for  the  lifeboats.  He  was 
seen  by  several  persons  from  the  deck  of  the  Oceanic 
as  well  as  by  the  first  mate,  who  was  in  the  water  him- 
self, and  when  McCallum,  the  mate,  was  picked  up, 
he  directed  the  boat  to  the  dog,  and  both  woman  and 
animal  were  taken  into  the  boat  and  saved.  The  dog 
found  a  friend  in  McCallum  and  remained  with  him, 
and  last  night,  when  the  mate  went  to  the  morgue  to 
announce  that  he  was  not  dead,  Jerry  was  following 
at  his  heels  as  if  he  knew  what  a  brave  part  he  had 
played,  and  wanted  to  be  seen  in  the  company  of  the 
man  who  launched  the  first  lifeboat." 

Saxon,  a  Newfoundland  dog,  belonging  to  Harry 
Stimms  of  Passaic  avenue,  Arlington,  N.  J.,  saved  the 
life  of  little  Mary  Anderson,  who  fell  from  a  float  into 
the  river,  and  was  being  carried  away  by  the  current, 
August,  1897.  The  dog  plunged  in  after  her  and 
brought  her  to  shore. 

Little  Isaac  Hopper  of  East  Sixteenth  street,  New 
York,  was  playing  on  the  pier  when  he  fell  into  the 
river,  June,  1897.  Cervera,  his  dog,  barked  loudly  for 
help,  and  knowing  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  jumped 
into  the  water,  and  held  the  lad  up  by  the  coat  collar 
till  two  men  came  and  pulled  them  both  out. 

In  Findlay,  Ohio,  an  intoxicated  painter  attempted 
to  end  his  life  in  May,  1897,  by  jumping  into  an  old 


Dogs  Save  From  Drowning  41 

quarry  bed  containing  fifteen  feet  of  water.  His  Eng- 
lish setter,  with  head  clearer  than  that  of  his  master, 
sprang  in  after  him,  pulled  him  to  the  side  of  the 
quarry,  and  by  his  barking  attracted  the  attention  of 
passers  by,  so  that  the  man's  life  was  saved. 

Frank  Wentz,  a  boy  of  eleven,  at  Springville,  S.  1., 
June,  1899,  not  returning  home  when  he  was  expected, 
his  father  searched  for  him  two  hours,  thinking  he 
might  be  lost  in  the  woods.  He  called  many  times  but 
there  was  no  answer.  Frank's  Newfoundland  dog  ran 
through  the  woods  for  a  short  time,  but  soon  started 
for  a  deep  pond.  The  father  heard  his  loud  barking, 
and  hastened  to  the  spot.  The  dog  had  dragged  the 
body  of  his  boy  from  the  water,  and  lay  beside  it. 
Frank  had  gone  in  to  bathe  and  lost  his  life. 

A  St.  Bernard  saved  the  three-year-old  child  of  Au- 
gustus Howe  of  Ryder's  Corners,  N.  Y.  The  boy  had 
wandered  a  short  distance  from  the  house  to  the  bank 
of  a  stream  and  had  fallen  into  deep  water.  The  dog, 
though  held  with  a  cord,  plunged  forward  with  suffi- 
cient force  to  break  it,  hastened  to  the  stream,  and 
brought  the  little  one  to  the  shore.  The  howling  of 
the  St.  Bernard  alarmed  the  parents  who  hastened  to 
the  place,  and  took  their  child  home  rejoicing,  and 
thankful  to  their  dumb  friend. 

The  New  York  Herald,  September  8,  1899,  has  this 
story  of  "  Westmore :  " 

"  From  a  dock  at  High  Bridge  yesterday  afternoon 
a  Newfoundland  dog  jumped  into  the  Harlem  River, 
seized  in  its  teeth  the  waist  of  the  dress  of  a  drowning 
girl,  swam  with  her  close  to  the  dock  and  supported  her 
there  until  both  were  rescued. 
t 


42         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  The  child,  who  is  seven  years  old,  is  the  daughter 
of  Mrs.  Jennie  Dorian,  who  lives  at  Sedgwick  avenue 
and  Wolf  street.  The  dog  was  owned  by  Edward  S. 
Jordan,  who  lived  in  Devoe  street,  but  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Philadelphia.  The  animal,  who  answered  .to 
the  name  '  Westmore,'  had  strayed  away  from  home 
just  before  its  master's  removal  from  Harlem,  and 
since  then  has  been  roving  about  the  docks  in  that 
section. 

"  Mrs.  Dorian  and  her  daughter  were  amusing  them- 
selves on  the  High  Bridge  dock  about  five  o'clock  yes- 
terday afternoon,  when  the  little  one  fell  overboard. 
The  mother,  unable  to  reach  her,  screamed  for  help. 

"  '  Westmore,'  attracted  by  her  cries,  saw  the  strug- 
gling girl  and  plunged  into  the  water  after  her.  The 
work  of  rescue  by  the  intelligent  dog  was  completed 
by  Policeman  Michael  Shea,  of  the  High  Bridge  squad, 
who  lowered  himself  over  the  edge  of  the  dock  and 
lifted  rescued  and  rescuer  on  top  of  it. 

"  The  child  was  taken  home  and  soon  recovered. 
The  dog  has  been  adopted  by  the  police  of  the  High 
Bridge  station.  They  have  rechristened  him  '  Dewey/ 
which  name  is  to  appear  on  a  collar,  the  money  for 
which  the  admiring  bluecoats  have  already  subscribed." 

A  St.  Bernard,  owned  by  the  wife  of  Lieut.  Powell 
of  the  First  United  States  Infantry,  gave  the  alarm, 
and  thus  saved  the  life  of  Miss  Fitzgerald,  only  child 
of  Attorney  General  Fitzgerald  of  California  in  the 
fall  of  1898.  Fainting  on  the  shore  near  Fort  Point, 
she  fell  into  the  water,  and  had  twice  gone  under, 
when  she  was  rescued  by  the  men  from  the  United 
States  life-saving  station  near  by. 


Dogs  Save  From  Drowning  43 

In  June,  1898,  Dinah,  a  Newfoundland  dog,  tried  in 
vain  to  save  ten-year-old  Annie  Barrows.  Mr.  Fred- 
erick Barrows,  of  Rahway,  N.  J.,  lives  close  to  the 
river,  his  yard  forming  a  portion  of  the  bank.  The 
baby  and  the  dog  played  on  the  grass,  till  the  mother 
chained  the  dog  to  her  kennel.  While  she  was  gone 
to  the  front  gate  to  make  some  purchase  of  a  huckster, 
she  heard  Dinah  howl,  and  turning  back,  saw  her  drag- 
ging her  heavy  box  toward  the  river,  although  the 
chain  was  near  choking  her.  She  did  not  realize  for 
the  moment  what  her  frantic  leaps  meant,  and  then 
she  thought  of  the  child.  Running  to  the  bank,  she 
saw  Annie  disappear  for  the  last  time.  Screaming, 
and  unable  to  swim,  she  sprang  into  the  water,  six  feet 
deep  at  that  point,  and  would  have  been  drowned, 
save  for  the  huckster,  who  rushed  after  her,  and 
brought  her  ashore  unconscious.  Had  the  dog  not  been 
chained,  she  would  without  doubt  have  saved  the  life 
of  the  child. 

Sefton  Hero  and  Rufford  Ormonde,  two  prize  collies 
of  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  of  New  York,  saved  a 
young  woman  from  drowning  in  July,  1897.  Robert 
K.  Armstrong,  the  Superintendent  of  Mr.  Morgan's 
kennels,  with  his  wife,  baby,  and  friend  were  upset  in 
their  boat  on  the  Hudson,  and  thrown  into  the  river. 
The  friend  could  not  swim,  and  the  noble  dogs  plunged 
to  her  rescue.  Rufford  Ormonde  took  hold  of  one  arm 
with  his  teeth,  and  Sefton  Hero  placed  himself  so  that 
the  woman  rested  squarely  on  his  back.  Working  to- 
gether they  dragged  her  safely  to  shore.  Mr.  Arm- 
strong writes  me :  "  I  still  have  them  both  in  the 
kennels,  and  there  were  never  two  more  faithful  dogs." 


44         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Commodore,  a  small  fox  terrier,  saved  a  life  in  De- 
cember, 1897.  A  boat  was  moored  at  the  foot  of  East 
Sixteenth  street,  New  York,  with  James  Meany,  and 
Captain  John  Foster's  dog  on  board.  In  the  middle  of 
the  night  the  boat  began  to  sink,  through  some  acci- 
dent. The  faithful  dog  on  the  deck,  realized  it,  and 
dashed  below  to  wake  up  Meany.  He  jumped  into 
the  bunk,  then  barked,  and  seeing  that  the  man  did  not 
waken,  he  pawed  his  face.  As  soon  as  he  was  awake 
and  saw  the  water  pouring  in,  Commodore  leaped 
about  for  joy.  Meany  fell  and  broke  his  arm  in  his 
eagerness  to  escape,  and  his  cries  brought  a  watchman 
who  had  him  carried  to  a  hospital.  The  boat  kept  on 
sinking  till  only  the  pilot  house  was  visible,  and  on  this 
the  poor  dog  sat  whining  piteously. 

When  the  Captain  was  notified  of  the  sinking  of 
his  boat,  he  hurried  to  the  scene,  and  saw  Commodore 
begging  for  help.  "  I  think  as  much  of  that  dog  as  I 
do  of  myself,"  said  the  Captain,  who  at  once  procured 
a  long  ladder  and  climbed  up  to  the  frightened  crea- 
ture. Commodore  sprang  into  the  arms  of  his  master, 
and  gave  a  bark  of  gratitude  and  affection. 

The  Baltimore  Sun  tells  this  incident: 

"  The  large  pet  dog  of  Charles  Hagerman  of  Irish- 
town,  Adams  County,  saved  the  life  of  his  three-year- 
old  son  in  a  singular  manner  while  the  two  were  at 
play  in  the  yard.  The  child  had  a  chain  fastened 
around  its  body  and  attached  to  the  neck  of  the  dog. 
They  were  strolling  about,  when  the  boy  accidentally 
fell  into  the  cistern,  containing  several  feet  of  water. 
The  dog,  bracing  himself  for  the  shock,  pulled  on  the 
chain  with  sufficient  force  to  hold  the  child's  head 


Dogs  Save  From  Drowning  45 

above  the  water.  The  pitiful  cries  of  the  boy  were 
heard  by  a  young  lady  residing  with  the  family,  who 
hastened  to  the  scene  and  rescued  the  little  fellow  from 
his  perilous  position." 

The  Wheeling  Intelligencer  has  the  following  of  a 
man  who,  crossing  the  Seventeenth  street  bridge,  lost 
his  balance  as  he  leaned  over  the  balustrade,  and  fell 
into  a  deep  hole  in  the  creek :  "  He  either  could  not 
swim,  or  was  rendered  powerless  by  fright  or  the  effect 
of  his  concussion  head  first  with  the  water,  and  floun- 
dered about  helplessly.  A  few  spectators  were  in  sight, 
and  all  rushed  to  the  bank  expecting  to  see  the  man 
drown.  He  sank  twice,  and  was  about  going  down  the 
third  time  never  to  rise  alive,  when  a  huge,  shaggy 
Newfoundland  dog  dashed  down  the  bank,  leaped  into 
the  creek,  swam  to  the  man,  and  grasping  him  by  the 
coat  held  him  up  and  pulled  him  toward  the  shore  until 
the  man's  feet  were  dh  the  solid  ground,  not  letting  go 
his  hold  until  both  were  clear  out  of  the  water.  Then 
the  shaggy  brute  shook  his  coat  dry,  and  walked  off 
wagging  his  tail,  amid  the  plaudits  of  a  hundred  odd 
men  and  boys  who  had  been  attracted  by  the  shouts  of 
the  few  people  who  witnessed  the  man's  tumble.  The 
man,  as  much  dead  as  alive,  waited  until  he  had  re- 
covered his  senses  entirely  and  drained  somewhat,  and 
then  walked  off.  Neither  the  man  nor  the  dog  was 
known  to  any  of  the  eye-witnesses." 

Mrs.  R.  Lee,  in  her  Anecdotes  of  Animals  tells  how 
her  father,  when  a  boy,  was  missing,  and  he  was  traced 
to  a  deep  pond  in  his  mother's  garden.  His  New- 
foundland dog  Trial  was  called,  his  young  master's 
clothes  were  shown  him,  and  the  pond  pointed  out. 


46         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog  • 

Trial  dashed  in  and  soon  brought  out  the  body.  He 
watched  most  intently  all  the  efforts  made  to  restore 
animation,  and  at  last  when  dry  himself  got  into  the 
bed,  and  by  his  own  warmth  gave  heat  and  circulation 
to  the  half  expiring  child. 

Mrs.  Lee  tells  also  of  a  Scotch  Terrier  which  be- 
longed to  her  mother.  Peter  was  at  one  time  stolen  by 
a  dog-dealer  or  rather  dog-stealer,  and  placed  in  a 
cellar  with  other  dogs,  either  to  be  shipped  away,  or 
returned  if  the  reward  offered  seemed  large  enough. 
The  dog  refused  to  eat,  seemed  insensible  to  kindness 
or  anger,  and  was  brought  back  because  they  thought 
he  would  die  in  a  day  or  two.  During  the  last  three 
months  of  the  mother's  life,  Peter  was  almost  always 
on  her  bed,  day  and  night,  and  when  death  was  daily 
expected,  he  became  sad  and  dull,  and  crept  into  a 
corner  under  the  bed,  his  place  of  refuge  when  in 
trouble.  When  his  mistress  wished  to  say  farewell  to 
him,  he  became  so  dejected,  and  trembled  so  violently, 
that  they  thought  he  would  die.  After  her  death,  as 
long  as  the  body  remained  in  the  house,  he  took  every 
opportunity  to  walk  around  it  and  lie  under  it.  After 
she  was  buried  he  grew  indifferent  to  every  one  except 
Mrs.  Lee's  brother,  never  played  again,  and  four  years 
afterwards  was  found  dead  in  his  corner  of  refuge. 

Mrs.  Lee  tells  of  a  poor  little  expiring  puppy,  a 
Scotch  Terrier,  which  she  found  one  day  by  the  edge 
of  a  pond,  and  brought  him  home  and  saved  him. 
Bruin  became  a  great  pet,  and  very  mischievous.  The 
chickens  began  to  disappear,  and  he  was  watched,  and 
found  to  be  guilty.  Mrs.  Lee  scolded  him,  but  he  for- 
got three  days  afterward  and  killed  more  chickens. 


Dogs  Save  From  Drowning  47 

Mrs.  Lee  tied  a  dead  chicken  to  his  neck,  and  shut  him 
up  all  day  in  the  tool-house,  visiting  him  several  times 
and  telling  him  how  naughty  he  was.  He  felt  the 
rebuke  so  keenly  that  he  could  not  eat,  but  recovered 
his  wonted  gayety  when  he  found  that  he  was  entirely 
forgiven.  He  never  touched  a  chicken  again. 

Noir,  according  to  the  New  York  Herald,  April 
29,  1897,  saved  the  life  of  one  of  the  crew  of  the 
"  Marie." 

"  The  steamship  '  Munchen,'  of  the  North  German 
Lloyd  line,  which  reached  port  last  night,  brought 
with  her  the  crew  of  the  French  fishing  brigantine 
'  Marie,'  which  had  been  dismasted  in  a  gale.  The 
'  Marie  '  was  waterlogged  and  in  a  sinking  condition 
when  the  '  Munchen  '  sighted  the  craft. 

"  The  hero  of  the  party  was  Noir,  a  shaggy  New- 
foundland. While  the  crew  were  dropping  into  the 
boats  from  the  abandoned  vessel,  one  of  them  fell 
overboard.  In  an  instant  Noir  leaped  into  the  water, 
and  as  the  man  rose  he  seized  his  blouse  in  his  teeth, 
supporting  him  until  his  companions  pulled  him  into 
the  boat.  Noir  then  scrambled  in  and  wagged  his  tail 
happily,  while  the  rescued  seaman  hugged  him  in  a 
true  French  burst  of  gratitude." 

"  Frederick  T.,  the  fourteen-year-old  son  of  Thomas 
Hunt  of  Greenwich,  while  skating  on  Seeley's  pond, 
was  drowned,  and  a  colored  man  who  went  to  the  boy's 
assistance  had  a  narrow  escape  from  the  same  fate. 

"  While  the  man  was  putting  on  his  skates  the  boy, 
who  was  skating,  disappeared.  Going  out  on  the  ice, 
the  man  found  the  youth  struggling  in  the  water.  He 
went  to  his  rescue,  but  the  ice  being  thin,  both  were 


48         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

soon  in  the  water.  The  colored  man  held  the  lad's 
head  above  the  water  as  long  as  strength  lasted,  calling 
for  help  all  the  while.  Becoming  benumbed  with  cold, 
he  was  compelled  to  release  the  boy,  who  then  sank. 

"  The  family  dog,  hearing  the  cries,  brought  help, 
and  the  half -frozen  man  was  rescued.  Later  the  body 
of  the  boy  was  recovered." 

"  When  Robert  Kirkland,  a  nine-year-old  boy,  of 
Smithville,  New  Jersey,  fell  in  the  Rancocas  River, 
his  cries  attracted  the  attention  of  his  dog,  some  dis- 
tance away. 

"  The  Newfoundland  immediately  plunged  in,  seized 
the  coat  collar  of  young  Kirkland  and  brought  him 
ashore  in  an  unconscious  condition.  Then  the  dog  ran 
to  the  Kirkland  house  and  by  his  queer  barking  made 
Mrs.  Kirkland  to  realize  that  something  was  wrong. 
He  ran  in  the  direction  of  the  river  and  she  followed, 
with  two  daughters  of  Robert  Powell,  a  neighbor. 

"  The  dog  led  them  to  the  spot  where  Robert  was 
lying  insensible.  Mrs.  Kirkland  and  the  two  Powell 
girls  carried  the  boy  home,  where  physicians  revived 
him." 


CHAPTER  III 
Dogs  Save  From  Fire 

ONE  rarely  takes  up  a  newspaper  without  finding 
an  account  of  life  saved  by  a  dog,  either  trom 
fire,  or  drowning,  or  burglars.  %i  Our  Dumb 
Animals"  for  January,  1900,  has  the  following: 
'*  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Nov.  30. — The  home  of  Alice 
Rix,  a  well-known  California  newspaper  writer,  was 
burned  at  Belvidere  yesterday.  That  she  and  her 
husband  did  not  lose  their  lives  was  due  to  the  Great 
Dane  '  Pharo,'  which  had  been  a  favorite  watch  dog. 
The  family  were  aroused  from  sleep  by  the  dog  howl- 
ing at  the  door  of  the  house  and  hammering  on  the 
knocker  with  his  huge  paws.  Her  husband  opened  his 
chamber  door  and  found  the  hall  full  of  smoke.  He 
slid  out  of  an  upstairs  window  by  a  line  made  from  the 
bedclothes  and  then  put  up  a  ladder  for  his  wife  and 
her  maid  to  escape  by.  The  fire  destroyed  the  house 
and  all  its  contents." 

The  family  of  William  O'Donnell,  near  the  Bronx 
Zoological  Gardens,  New  York,  were  saved  from 
burning,  November  15,  1899,  by  their  large  watch 
dog.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  dog  saw  the 
two  story  frame  house  on  fire.  He  bounded  up  the 
porch,  dashed  through  the  window  where  the  man  and 
his  wife  were  sleeping  and  awakened  them  by  his  bark- 
ing and  running  about  in  great  agitation. 


$o         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Mr.  O'Donnell  carried  his  sick  wife  and  baby  a 
month  old  out  into  the  rain  and  deep  mud  to  the 
nearest  house,  shouting  to  his  five  other  children  as  he 
went,  and  then  rushed  back  to  try  and  save  them.  The 
firemen  had  reached  the  house  meantime,  and  together 
they  rescued  the  children  just  before  the  flames  reached 
them.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  alert,  faithful  dog, 
probably  eight  persons  would  have  perished. 

The  burning  house  was  in  sight  of  the  animals  at  the 
Gardens,  and  the  buffalo,  elk,  bears,  foxes,  wolves  and 
monkeys  were  all  terrified,  rushing  about  and  making 
all  manner  of  noises  in  their  pitiful  fright. 

"  If  it  had  not  been  for  '  Duke/  the  large  St.  Ber- 
nard dog  owned  by  John  B.  Gill  of  Bourne  street, 
Forest  Hills,  Boston,  there  would  doubtless  have  been 
two  lives  lost  in  the  fire  that  broke  out  at  '  Wood- 
bourne  '  early  yesterday  morning,"  says  the  Boston 
Post,  October.  1899. 

"  Mr.  Gill,  who  is  a  lineman  in  the  employ  of  the  L 
road,  is  engaged  by  the  Minot  heirs  as  a  caretaker  in 
one  of  the  three  houses  that  comprise  the  '  Wood- 
bourne  '  property.  When  he  started  for  his  work 
Sunday  night  Mr.  Gill,  according  to  his  usual  custom, 
left  a  lamp  burning  in  the  front  hall. 

"  Mrs.  Gill  and  Archie  Simmonds  a  six-year-old 
boy  who  boards  with  the  family,  were  asleep  on  the 
first  floor.  About  one  o'clock  there  was  a  cry  of  fire  and 
the  neighbors  who  were  awakened  were  startled  to 
see  the  sky  lighted  with  the  glare  of  flames. 

"  An  unknown  man  ran  to  a  nearby  box  and  pulled 
in  an  alarm.  When  he  returned  to  the  scene  with 
others  of  the  neighbors  he  found  the  occupants  of  the 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  51 

house  running  out  scantily  clad.  Rushing  about  in 
front  of  the  house,  barking  in  a  frenzy,  was  the  dog. 
It  was  he  that  had  aroused  the  sleepers. 

"  Yesterday  Mrs.  Gill  told  the  story  of  the  fire  as  she 
lay  prostrated  from  the  shock  at  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nichols,  who  are  neighbors  of  hers. 

"  '  Yes/  said  she,  '  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Duke  we 
would  surely  have  been  burned  or  suffocated.  About 
one  o'clock  I  was  awakened  by  a  terrible  barking.  Duke 
had  my  arm  in  his  mouth  and  was  trying  to  drag  me 
from  bed.  When  I  got  up  to  see  what  the  matter  was 
there  was  Duke  dragging  Archie  along  over  the  floor 
towards  the  door.  Then  the  dog  came  back  and  tugged 
at  my  night  dress  till  I  rushed  to  the  door  leading  to  the 
front  hall. 

'  The  hallway  was  full  of  smoke  and  flames,  and 
snatching  up  Archie  I  started  out  through  the  kitchen 
to  the  back  door  and  got  out  safely.  All  the  time 
Duke  was  barking  and  tugging  away  at  our  garments 
in  an  effort  to  get  us  out  quickly.  Why,  he  even 
pounced  against  the  closed  door  and  tried  to  break  it 
open.  He  behaved  like  a  hero  throughout.' 

"  Duke,  the  great  shaggy  St.  Bernard,  has  been  in 
the  family  for  over  a  year." 

A  Great  Dane  dog  saved  Swen  Olson  of  Chicago 
from  death  by  fire  in  December,  1898.  He  lived  alone 
with  his  dog  in  a  frame  house  and  was  asleep  on  the 
second  floor,  when  the  animal  awakened  him  by  bark- 
ing and  pulling  at  his  bed  clothes.  The  smoke  had  half 
suffocated  the  man,  sixty  years  old,  so  that  he  was 
unable  to  escape. 

The  faithful  dog  stayed  by  his  master  till  he  saw 


52         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

the  walls  burning  around  him,  when  he  ran  into  the 
street  whining  and  barking  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  firemen,  who  were  trying  to  extinguish  the 
flames  of  an  adjacent  building  as  well  as  the  one 
where  Olson  was  living.  They  hastened  to  the  second 
story,  guided  by  the  Great  Dane,  found  the  man  un- 
conscious, and  carried  him  out  of  the  house.  The  dog 
had  saved  his  life. 

Two  water  spaniels  in  the  month  of  December  in 
Chicago  saved  the  lives  of  George  Miland  and  his 
wife,  who  were  asleep  in  apartments  over  their  laundry. 
The  dogs  were  locked  in  the  laundry  for  the  night, 
and  at  two  o'clock  awakened  the  man  and  his  wife 
by  barking.  The  flames  had  started  in  the  boiler  room 
and  had  gained  considerable  headway. 

The  Philadelphia  Press  tells  how  Paddy,  a  black  and 
white  bull  terrier,  by  his  barking  awakened  Mrs. 
Sweeney  and  her  two  children  in  time  to  save  their 
lives.  A  hanging  lamp  had  fallen  to  the  floor,  and  the 
oil  caught  fire.  The  mother  hastened  to  the  neighbors 
at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  fire  was  ex- 
tinguished. 

A  pet  dog  by  his  barking  saved  the  lives  of  Mrs. 
Erskine  Latimer  Waite  and  her  household  at  Rahway, 
N.  J.,  December  9,  1899.  The  elegant  home  with  its 
art  treasures  was  destroyed,  but  the  family  escaped  in 
their  night-clothes  from  the  second  story  down  the 
frame  lattice  work  which  enclosed  the  porch. 

A  little  Skye  terrier,  Trix,  by  her  barking  saved  the 
life  of  Frank  Miller  in  June,  1898,  at  the  house  of  the 
Bloomingdale  Boat  Club,  at  the  foot  of  West  iO2nd 
street,  New  York.  He  was  the  steward  and  slept  there 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  53 

during  the  boating  season,  his  dumb  friend,  who  was 
devoted  to  him  and  he  to  her,  always  keeping  him  com- 
pany. When  Trix  gave  the  alarm  Miller  hastily  picked 
up  some  clothing  and  ran  towards  the  door  opening 
out  on  the  bridge  which  spans  the  New  York  Central 
tracks.  Trix  followed  in  the  blinding  smoke.  The  fire 
had  burned  a  hole  in  the  floor,  which  the  little  crea- 
ture could  not  see,  and  into  this  she  fell  and  was  killed 
instantly.  She  had  saved  her  master's  life,  but  lost  her 
own. 

Prince,  a  Skye  terrier  owned  by  Mrs.  S.  A.  Spector, 
of  Derby,  Conn.,  ran  half  a  mile  and  gave  an  alarm  to 
the  police,  thus  saving  an  entire  block  of  houses. 

A  fire  broke  out  in  the  box  factory  of  John  Gil- 
martin,  481  Cherry  street,  New  York,  the  last  of  May, 
1898.  A  black  and  white  dog,  who  had  hung  about 
the  place  for  months  and  been  fed  by  the  workmen,  was 
alone  in  the  factory.  He  ran  up  and  down  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  barking  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  A  police- 
man heard  him  and  rang  for  the  engines,  but  the  dog 
did  not  know  this,  and  kept  on  barking  till  the  firemen 
broke  in  the  doors.  The  dog  wagged  his  tail  and 
seemed  delighted.  A  dozen  horses  were  in  the  building 
and  these  were  led  out  and  saved.  The  dog  jumped 
about  their  feet  trying  to  express  his  joy  at  their  de- 
liverance. The  lives  of  many  persons  were  saved,  as 
well  as  the  horses  and  buildings,  by  this  faithful  dog. 

Prince,  a  spaniel,  owned  by  a  shoemaker  in  the  base- 
ment of  a  five-story  tenement  house,  787  Seventh  ave- 
nue, New  York,  saved  the  lives  of  the  occupants  in 
December,  1899.  His  barking  awoke  a  man  on  the 
first  floor,  who  aroused  the  other  people.  The  poor 


54         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

dog  was  not  forgotten  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  but 
was  liberated  by  a  person  breaking  the  door. 

Fido,  in  the  night  awakened  his  master,  William 
Courtney,  380  West  Fourteenth  street,  New  York,  and 
called  his  attention  to  a  burning  barn,  which  was  en- 
dangering the  lives  of  many  persons  in  the  adjacent 
houses. 

Flora,  a  pet  dog  at  910  Columbus  Avenue,  New 
York,  in  December,  1898,  awakened  the  people  in  the 
large  apartment  house  by  her  barking.  The  owner 
tried  to  stop  her,  but  did  not  succeed,  and  was  grateful 
to  her  when  he  found  that  there  was  a  fire  in  the  cellar. 
The  firemen  were  sent  for,  and  it  was  extinguished. 
Fifteen  families  were  saved  by  the  dog. 

A  setter  dog  belonging  to  the  janitress  saved  the 
lives  of  the  inmates  of  the  apartment  house,  335  East 
Seventeenth  street,  New  York,  September,  1897.  The 
fire  broke  out  in  the  second  story,  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  the  forty  persons  in  the  house  were 
awakened  by  the  dog's  constant  and  furious  bark- 
ing. 

Our  Fellow  Creatures  quotes  from  The  New  York 
World,  June  18,  1897: 

"  The  cottage  of  Mrs.  Charles  Smith,  a  widow,  was 
one  of  the  prettiest  in  all  Pelham  Manor,  that  village 
of  dainty  houses.  It  was  surrounded  by  trees  and 
lawns  and  beds  of  flowers.  Mrs.  Smith  lived  there 
with  her  young  son,  Fred,  and  several  servants. 

"  Mary  Wilson,  a  maid,  was  aroused  at  3  A.  M. 
yesterday  by  the  loud  barking  of  a  dog  and  the  efforts 
of  somebody  to  drag  her  from  her  bed.  The  room 
was  full  of  smoke.  Mary  could  hardly  breathe  and 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  55 

she  was  so  overcome  by  the  smoke  that  her  mind  was 
not  clear.  Presently  she  realized  that  Gyp,  the  family 
pet,  a  big  Newfoundland  dog,  had  barked  to  awaken 
her,  and  rinding  this  ineffective,  had  tried  to  drag 
her  from  the  bed. 

"  Mary  ran  upstairs  and  called  Mrs.  Smith,  who 
was  nearly  suffocated  by  the  smoke  which  now  filled 
every  part  of  the  house  and  could  hardly  be  awakened. 
Fred  Smith  was  asleep  in  a  room  at  the  end  of  the 
hall.  The  passage  was  black  with  thick  clouds  of 
smoke,  but  Mary  Wilson  ran  through  it,  picked  up  the 
boy  without  waking  him  and  carried  him  to  his  mother. 

"  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  Mary 
aroused  the  other  servants,  but  soon  all  the  occupants 
fled  to  the  lawn. 

"  It  is  supposed  that  the  fire  was  started  by  some 
prowler  who  was  trying  to  rob  the  house.  Pelham 
Manor  is  just  outside  the  New  York  city  line. 

"  Gyp  has  been  admired  and  petted  by  every  one  in 
Pelham  Manor  during  the  day.  She  bears  her  honors 
modestly." 

Two  fox  terriers  saved  the  lives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Lawrence,  Camden,  New  Jersey,  February 
19,  1901.  Both  dogs  were  burned. 

A  shoemaker  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  September,  1897, 
was  awakened  by  his  pug  dog,  Tip,  barking  in  a  rear 
shed.  Going  downstairs,  he  opened  the  kitchen  door, 
when  the  flames  burst  upon  him  from  head  to  foot. 
He  ran  to  the  fire-box  and  gave  the  alarm,  and  then 
carried  his  aged  and  helpless  grandmother  downstairs. 
The  housekeeper  escaped  without  injury.  The  poor 
dog  meantime  had  ceased  to  howl.  The  firemen  found 


56         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

his  blackened  body  in  the  shed,  from  which  his  alarm 
had  saved  three  lives. 

Rex,  a  shaggy  dog,  saved  the  Trenton  Hardware 
Company's  store,  one  of  the  largest  in  Trenton,  N.  J., 
January,  1899.  He  had  no  home,  but  the  clerks  gave 
him  welcome,  and  he  guarded  the  store  in  gratitude. 
The  night  watchman  saw  Rex  with  his  paws  against 
the  glass  door,  barking  furiously.  The  man  broke  in 
the  door,  and  Rex  led  the  way  to  the  cellar,  where  was 
a  pile  of  shavings  all  ablaze.  In  five  minutes,  the 
appeals  of  Rex  would  have  been  too  late  to  save  the 
building,  or  his  own  life. 

Dewey,  a  brindle  dog,  tried  to  save  his  little  three- 
year-old  playmate  to  whom  he  was  devoted,  Mary 
Tonis,  of  Paterson,  N.  J.,  September,  1898.  She  and 
another  child  were  playing  with  matches  in  the  barn, 
while  the  dog  was  asleep  on  the  barn  floor.  Awakened 
by  her  screams,  he  saw  little  Mary  in  flames.  He 
grasped  her  dress  with  his  teeth  and  dragged  her  out 
into  the  yard,  barking  and  pawing,  as  though  he  were 
stamping  out  the  flames.  The  mother  poured  water  on 
her  child,  whose  clothing  was  quite  burned  off,  and  she 
was  taken  unconscious  to  the  hospital. 

Humane  Christian  Culture  for  July,  1899,  tells  the 
story  of  Bruno,  a  Newfoundland  dog,  who  in  a  fire  in 
a  hotel  in  the  oil  regions,  awakened  every  sleeper  by 
barking  and  pawing  on  each  door  in  the  corridors. 
He  tried  in  vain  a  second  time  to  awaken  the  drunken 
clerk,  his  master,  and  pulled  him  out  of  the  fire  to  a 
place  of  safety,  his  torn  clothing  showing  the  marks 
of  Bruno's  teeth.  When  the  morning  came  the  charred 
body  of  the  faithful  dog  was  found.  He  was  put  into 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  57 

a  clean  box  and  buried,  and  a  marble  slab,  telling  of 
his  bravery,  placed  at  the  head  of  the  grave. 

The  London  "  Spectator  "  tells  the  story  of  a  Rus- 
sian poodle,  Zulu,  that  slept  in  the  basement  of  a  house 
in  that  city.  One  night  he  went  to  the  top  of  the  house 
and  awakened  one  of  the  servants.  She  let  him  in, 
but  the  dog  would  not  allow  her  to  sleep.  At  last  she 
got  up,  went  into  the  hall  and  saw  a  light,  showing 
that  there  was  a  fire  somewhere.  All  the  family  were 
gotten  out,  and  the  house  itself  saved  from  burning. 
One  of  the  London  insurance  companies  has  presented 
the  dog  a  silver  medal,  with  his  name  engraved  upon 
it,  as  Zulu  saved  not  only  the  family,  but  the  house 
from  burning. 

In  New  Buffalo,  Ohio,  December,  1899,  Mrs.  John 
Elseis  caught  fire,  and  running  in  her  fright,  the  flames 
spread  over  her.  Her  faithful  dog,  realizing  her  dan- 
ger, jumped  upon  her,  knocking  her  to  the  ground,  and 
then  tore  the  burning  garments  from  her  body.  By 
this  her  life  was  saved,  although  she  was  badly  burned. 

In  Findlay,  Ohio,  the  loud  barking  of  his  dog 
awakened  Daniel  Dubois,  who  found  his  house  in 
flames.  He  succeeded  in  taking  out  his  family  in  their 
night  clothes,  with  the  thermometer  eleven  degrees  be- 
low zero,  but  the  noble  dog,  rushing  into  the  building, 
was  burned  to  death. 

In  Massillon,  Ohio,  December,  1899,  a  dog  was 
barking  furiously,  when  his  master  called  to  him  to 
stop.  Not  succeeding,  the  man  went  upstairs  and 
found  that  clothing  hung  too  near  an  overheated  stove- 
pipe had  caused  a  fire.  But  for  the  dog,  who  is  now 
the  hero  of  the  neighborhood,  not  only  the  master's 


58         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

home,  but  others  close  to  it,  doubtless  would  have  been 
burned. 

In  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  a  two-story  brick  building  on 
Pearl  street,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  shoe  store  on  the 
first  floor.  Above  slept  Mrs.  Larson,  her  son  Johnny, 
and  a  boarder.  All  slept  soundly  and  did  not  realize 
the  dense  smoke,  and  their  danger,  till  Johnny's  dog,  a 
mixture  of  water  spaniel  and  St.  Bernard,  jumped  on 
Mrs.  Larson's  bed  and  pulled  at  the  bed  clothes  with 
all  his  might.  Half  suffocated  though  he  was,  he  tore 
about  the  rooms,  barking  and  arousing  the  other  sleep- 
ers. All  escaped  safely  into  the  street. 

The  Cleveland  Press,  April  2,  1900,  tells  of  a  mar- 
velous escape  from  fire : 

"  At  3  -.20  A.  M.,  Monday,  a  fierce  fire  broke  out  in 
a  two-story  brick  factory  building  at  Mason  street  and 
the  C.  &.  P.  tracks,  used  by  the  Hill  Syrup  Company. 
The  fire  spread  rapidly,  and  soon  the  entire  building 
was  filled  with  a  blinding,  dense  smoke. 

"  Chas.  Vane,  watchman  of  the  company,  sleeps  on 
a  cot  in  the  engine  room.  Vane  has  a  Great  Dane  dog, 
which  sleeps  in  the  same  room.  Little  by  little,  the 
engine  room  filled  up  with  the  insidious  smoke.  The 
dog  barked,  but  his  master  did  not  move.  In  his  sleep 
he  was  inhaling  certain  death. 

"  Then  the  faithful  animal  seemed  to  realize  that 
desperate  measures  were  necessary,  or  his  master  would 
die  where  he  slept.  Up  on  the  cot  the  animal  jumped, 
and  licked  Vane's  face,  barking  all  the  time.  The  half- 
conscious  man  did  not  stir,  and  the  smoke  was  growing 
thicker. 

"  Then  the  dog,  seizing  the  bed  clothes  and  Vane's 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  59 

night  clothing,  yanked  and  pulled  in  desperation.   Then 
he  pawed  at  his  master's  face. 

"  With  a  start,  Vane  woke  up  and  saw  the  situation 
at  a  glance.  He  opened  a  door  which  led  to  safety, 
but  the  flames  burst  fiercely  into  the  engine  room.  To 
make  his  escape,  Vane  was  forced  to  break  a  window 
and  jump  a  distance  of  ten  feet.  He  succeeded  in 
dragging  out  the  dog  that  had  saved  his  life.  Vane's 
hands  and  face  were  cut  by  the  glass." 

A  fox-terrier  saved  three  lives  at  a  fire,  274  West 
1 1 7th  street,  New  York  city,  January,  1898.  At  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  Dandy,  the  dog,  jumped  upon 
Mrs.  Bartholdi's  bed  and  woke  her  with  a  shrill  bark. 
The  room  was  full  of  smoke  and  the  crackling  flames 
could  be  heard.  She  aroused  her  husband,  and  hur- 
ried into  the  street  with  her  daughter,  Rosie.  Mr.  Bar- 
tholdi  rang  all  the  bells  in  the  apartment  house,  and 
then  turned  in  the  alarm. 

The  family  on  the  fourth  floor  were  surrounded  by 
flames.  Firemen  ran  up  the  stairs  and  rescued  Mrs. 
Garvey  and  her  mother,  by  means  of  the  air  shaft. 
William  Florence  threw  himself  across  the  shaft,  and 
Sergeant  Hulslander  helped  the  women  over  the  human 
bridge  formed  by  his  body.  Mrs.  Garvey  seized  her 
pet  dog  in  her  arms,  and  it  was  rescued  with  her,  but 
her  poor  cat  and  canary  bird  left  behind,  were  smoth- 
ered by  the  smoke. 

Tray,  belonging  to  William  J.  Clark,  39  Pacific 
street,  Brooklyn,  saved  a  family  of  six  from  burning. 
At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Clark  was 
awakened  by  his  dog  pawing  at  the  front  door,  but 
paid  no  attention  till  the  dog  whined  impatiently. 


60         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Then  Mr.  Clark  arose,  and  found  smoke  pouring  into 
his  room.  He  aroused  his  wife,  who  is  an  invalid, 
and  his  four  children.  Meantime  policemen  had  come 
and  forced  the  front  door.  Mrs.  Clark  was  carried  out, 
and  the  children  saved  just  in  time,  as  the  building 
was  destroyed. 

Prince,  a  red  Irish  setter,  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  aroused  the  people  of  346  West  36th  street, 
New  York  city,  by  barking  and  scratching  at  the  doors. 
It  is  believed  that  he  was  tearing  down  the  blazing 
curtains  which  started  the  fire.  Eighteen  families  were 
on  the  upper  floors,  and  all  were  saved. 

The  New  York  World  for  November  23,  1897,  tells 
the  following  story  of  Yaller,  the  canine  pet  of  the 
Eldridge  Street  Police  Station,  when  a  fire  broke  out 
in  the  basement  of  26  Allen  street :  "  The  house  is  a 
six-story  double  tenement,  narrow  and  crowded,  a 
typical  east-side  structure  of  the  days  before  building 
reform.  The  first  floor  is  occupied  by  two  small  stores. 
Above  these  are  five  floors  crowded  by  twelve  fami- 
lies. 

"  Every  one  in  the  house  was  asleep  when  Samuel 
Berkowitz,  who  drives  an  express  wagon  in  Jersey 
City,  came  home.  His  cry  of  '  Fire ! '  brought  Police- 
men Stiller,  Cohen  and  Cunningham.  With  Cun- 
ningham came  Yaller. 

"  Into  the  house  ran  the  policemen,  rousing  the  ten- 
ants. All  the  lights  were  out  and  the  policemen  stum- 
bled, but  Yaller  had  no  trouble.  Up  the  stairs  he  ran, 
barking  loudly  and  pawing  at  each  door. 

"  When  they  thought  all  the  tenants  had  been 
awakened  the  policeman  left,  calling  the  dog.  But 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  61 

Yaller  remained  behind,  pawing  at  a  door  on  the  fifth 
floor  until  Cohen  went  back.  He  found  one  family 
had  not  been  awakened.  He  roused  the  members  and 
then  the  dog  followed  to  the  street,  but  a  moment 
later  was  heard  barking  loudly  again  inside  the 
house. 

"  Policeman  Cunningham  and  a  fireman  ran  through 
the  smoke  and  upstairs.  On  the  third  floor  they  found 
Mrs.  Nathan  Tusk  and  her  little  baby  overcome  by 
smoke  and  terror.  Yaller  was  alternately  tugging  at 
the  woman's  dress  and  barking  for  assistance.  Babe, 
dog  and  woman  were  carried  down  in  safety  and 
Yaller  left  satisfied. 

"  Yaller,  after  finishing  his  regular  tour  of  duty  with 
Cunningham,  returned  to  the  station.  He  slept  all  the 
afternoon  under  Sergeant  McDermott's  desk  and  was 
out  on  post  again  last  night. 

"  He  was  with  McLaughlin  once  when  two  men 
rifled  a  weighing  machine  in  Orchard  street.  The 
policeman  caught  one  thief,  but  the  other  ran  until 
Yaller  overtook  him,  caught  him  by  the  leg  and  held 
him  until  another  policeman  arrived. 

"  After  that  Yaller  followed  Policeman  Gazell  in  a 
chase  over  roofs  after  two  thieves.  The  latter  went 
through  a  skylight  and  disappeared,  but  Yaller  fol- 
lowed and  cornered  them  until  Gazell  came. 

"  His  visit  to  the  '  Horse  Show,'  as  the  police  call 
the  trial-room  at  Headquarters,  is  historical.  Patrol- 
man Sullivan  was  on  trial.  Yaller  sat  beside  the  po- 
liceman until  the  case  was  called.  Then  the  dog 
marched  up  to  Commissioner  Grant's  desk.  Colonel 
Grant  was  at  first  indignant. 


62          Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  '  That's  Sullivan's  witness,'  whispered  an  attend- 
ant, who  introduced  Yaller. 

"  '  I'll  have  him  up  here  on  the  bench,  then/  said  the 
Commissioner,  smiling,  and  Yaller  promptly  seated 
himself  beside  the  Colonel. 

"  The  charges  against  Sullivan  were  dismissed,  and 
with  a  bark  of  satisfaction  Yaller  left  the  bench  and 
followed  his  friend." 

A  bull  dog  belonging  to  Theodore  D.  Rich,  a  New 
York  publisher,  living  on  the  Kingsbridge  road,  New 
York,  discovered  a  fire  in  the  barn  where  he  slept,  ran 
upstairs  and  aroused  the  coachman.  He  had  barely 
time  to  jump  from  a  window  and  save  his  life.  The 
dog  returned  to  the  door  on  the  first  floor  and  whined 
piteously  to  be  let  out,  but  before  the  firemen  could 
break  in  the  door,  he  was  suffocated. 

In  Pawtucket,  Rhode  Island,  on  the  night  of  Febru- 
ary I9th,  1899,  fire  broke  out  in  the  house  of  David 
Moreau.  Mr.  Moreau,  his  wife  and  children  would 
have  probably  all  been  burned  alive  but  for  his  large 
St.  Bernard  dog,  which  jumping  upon  his  bed  with 
loud  barking  tore  off  the  bed-clothing  and  awakened 
Mr.  Moreau.  The  man  saved  his  wife  and  children, 
and  with  the  help  of  neighbors  saved  a  part  of  his 
house. 

A  pretty  story  was  told  me  by  a  friend  at  Christmas, 
1899.  A  lady  sat  in  her  room  upstairs  sewing,  leaving 
her  baby  girl  to  play  with  a  St.  Bernard  dog  below 
stairs.  After  a  time  the  dog  came  upstairs,  barked, 
and  apparently  asked  her  to  go  down,  but  hearing  no 
sound  from  the  child,  she  paid  no  attention.  The 
dog  came  up  a  second  time,  but  she  kept  on  sewing, 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  63 

He  came  a  third  time,  and  seeing  that  she  did  not  re- 
spond, went  back  and  did  not  return.  Finally,  the 
woman  smelt  something  burning,  and  hastened  down. 
The  baby  lay  asleep  near  the  open  fire,  from  which 
sparks  had  nearly  touched  her  clothes,  and  between  her 
and  the  hot  grate,  the  St.  Bernard  had  stretched  him- 
self to  save  the  child.  The  sparks  had  burned  his  long 
hair,  and  nearly  or  quite  blistered  him,  but  he  was  do- 
ing his  duty  even  unto  death,  if  need  be. 

The  Rev.  Geo.  Leon  Walker,  D.D.,  tells  this  pathetic 
story  of  the  heroism  of  a  dog :  "  It  was  in  a  Central 
New  York  village.  A  drunken  hostler  had  gone  to 
bed  in  the  barn  adjoining  a  hotel.  He  had  dropped 
his  lantern  where  it  presently  set  the  barn  on  fire, 
which  swept  shortly  into  the  hotel.  Fortunately  the 
hostler  had  a  dog  who  did  not  drink.  The  inferior 
creature  dragged  his  master  out  of  bed  to  the  floor 
and  barked  in  his  ear  until  he  aroused  him  enough  to 
stagger  to  the  hotel  and  open  the  door.  Then  the  dog 
went  through  the  house,  barking  at  every  chamber. 
All  the  people  were  aroused,  and  got  safely  out.  Only 
one  frantic  mother  who  had  six  children  rescued,  mis- 
takenly thought  one  of  them  was  left  behind.  She 
rushed  toward  the  entrance,  wildly  waved  her  arms 
and  shrieked  for  help  for  the  missing  child.  Dogs 
know  a  good  deal,  but  are  not  omniscient,  and  this 
one  thought  there  must  be  still  some  one  in  there 
whom  he  had  not  roused,  and  in  he  went  to  do  it. 
He  never  came  out.  But  does  any  one  hesitate 
to  say  that  more  nobleness  died  with  him  in  that  heroic 
endeavor  than  if  his  master  had  perished  instead  of 
him?" 


64          Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Our  Animal  Friends  "  tells  of  Bruce  of  the  New 
York  Fire  Department : 

"  Twice  in  his  first  winter  he  had  distinguished  him- 
self by  his  life-saving-  services.  Any  one  of  the  com- 
pany will  delight  to  tell  you  in  an  idle  hour  of  what 
Bruce  did  at  the  burning  of  the  Eleventh  Avenue  Paper 
Factory,  which  was  one  of  the  largest  fires  of  the  sea- 
son. In  the  excitement  and  rush  the  firemen  had  for- 
gotten the  horses,  and  left  them  harnessed  to  the 
engine  so  close  to  the  fire  that  one  of  the  brave  ani- 
mals was  burned,  and  having  made  no  sound  or  out- 
cry, no  one  noticed  or  knew — except  Bruce.  But 
Bruce,  barking  furiously,  rushing  from  one  fireman 
to  another,  finally  attracted  some  one's  attention,  so 
that  the  horses  were  released  from  their  cruel  position." 

The  Brooklyn  Standard  Union,  March  13,  1900. 
gives  an  account  of  the  saving  from  fire  of  the  family 
of  Nicholas  Fuller,  121  West  i/th  street,  Manhattan, 
and  the  lives  of  twenty  horses  by  the  barking  of  Mr. 
Fuller's  dogs. 

"  Sport,"  a  small  fox  terrier,  saved  507  West  26th 
street,  New  York  city,  from  burning,  giving  the  alarm 
at  four  A.  M.  by  furious  barking. 

"  The  family  of  Hoke  Smith,  formerly  Secretary  of 
the  Interior,  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death  by  fire 
at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  at  an  early  hour  on  the  morning  of 
June  2.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  persistent  beating 
against  the  panels  of  the  door  with  his  paws  by  a 
faithful  Newfoundland  dog,  the  pet  of  the  household, 
and  the  continuous  lugubrious  howls  he  uttered,  which 
awoke  Mr.  Smith's  young  son,  a  catastrophe  might 
have  resulted. 


Dogs  Save  From  Fire  65 

"  The  family  occupied  the  north  side  of  the  house 
and  were  sound  asleep,  all  unconscious  of  danger, 
while  the  flames  were  eating  into  the  framework  on 
the  other  side  of  the  house.  While  they  slept  the  faith- 
ful sentinel  gave  the  alarm  in  his  own  way.  Mr. 
Smith  was  absent  in  Washington.  His  son  was 
aroused  by  the  noise  on  the  door,  and  on  going  out  to 
investigate  the  cause,  he  discovered  the  fire. 

"  The  neighbors  were  aroused  and  promptly  came  to 
the  rescue.  The  hose  in  the  yard  was  put  into  use,  and 
by  this  means  they  succeeded  in  checking  the  flames 
until  the  arrival  of  the  fire  department.  The  prompt 
awakening  of  the  household,  and  the  quick  response  of 
the  fire  department  prevented  the  building  from  being- 
burned  to  the  ground.  Considerable  damage  was  done 
to  the  building,  and  the  furniture  was  injured  by 
water." 

"  The  dog  referred  to  is  dead,"  Mr.  Smith  writes 
me,  "  and  I  regret  that  I  have  no  picture  of  him  that 
I  can  send  you." 

"  Fire  occurred  from  spontaneous  combustion  in  the 
basement  of  the  livery  stable  at  56-58  East  lOQth  street 
at  8:30  p.  M.,  starting  in  an  accumulation  of  refuse 
in  a  wooden  shaft  in  the  rear  of  the  stable.  In  the 
basement  were  about  fifty  horses,  mostly  '  boarders.' 
An  employee,  aided  by  two  policemen,  cut  the  halters 
of  the  horses  and  drove  them  into  the  street. 

"  An  unknown  woman  happened  to  be  passing  the 
stable  at  the  moment  leading  a  collie  dog.  The  horses 
came  dashing  up  the  runway  into  the  street  frightened 
by  the  smoke  and  the  clanging  of  the  arriving  fire 
engines.  The  instincts  of  the  dog  were  at  once  aroused, 


66         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  he  took  it  upon  himself  to  manage  the  horses. 
As  each  horse  came  out  he  ran  in  front  of  it  and 
snapped  at  its  legs  until  it  turned  back.  By  a  won- 
derful amount  of  barking  and  running  the  dog  herded 
about  thirty  of  the  horses  in  a  bunch  in  the  middle  of 
the  street.  The  employees  of  the  stable  were  then  able 
to  catch  them  and  took  them  back  to  their  stalls  as 
soon  as  the  blaze  was  extinguished." 

Mrs.  Catherine  Kennedy  in  Hoboken  owes  her  life 
to  her  pet  dog  Jack.  At  two  in  the  morning  the  dog 
barked  frantically,  and  she  awoke  to  find  her  apart- 
ments filled  with  smoke.  Seizing  Jack  in  her  arms 
she  hurried  into  the  street.  Jack  will  have  a  new  collar 
with  his  life-saving  act  inscribed  upon  it. 

"  Harry  Grant  of  Franklinville,  N.  Y.,"  says  the 
New  York  Times,  "  owned  a  mastiff  which  he  spent 
weeks  in  teaching  to  put  out  fires  with  his  paws.  This 
morning,  in  illustrating  to  a  friend  the  efficiency  of  his 
dog,  Grant  lighted  a  fuse  attached  to  a  dynamite  cart- 
ridge. The  faithful  and  obedient  dog  rushed  at  the 
smoking  fuse  and  endeavored  to  put  it  out,  but  failed. 

"  Seeing  the  danger  of  his  pet,  Grant  grabbed  the 
animal  by  the  tail  and  endeavored  to  pull  him  away. 
The  explosion  that  followed  tore  the  dog  tc  pieces  and 
fatally  injured  Grant." 


CHAPTER  IV 
Dogs  Save  From  Burglars 

BISMARCK,  a  fox-terrier,  seized  the  leg  of  a 
robber  eighteen  years  old,  after  he  had  stolen 
$25   from  the  till  of  his  master  at  520  5th 
street,  New  York,  December,  1899.    The  dog  held  the 
thief  until  his  master  arrived,   when  he  was  turned 
over  to  the  police. 

An  Irish  setter  saved  the  life  of  W.  P.  Aspen,  381 
Bradford  street,  Brooklyn,  January  i,  1900.  Two  rob- 
bers knocked  him  down  with  a  club  when  near  his 
home.  The  setter  alternately  bit  the  robbers  and 
barked  as  loud  as  possible.  Fearing  that  so  much  noise 
would  lead  to  their  detection,  they  took  a  one  hundred 
dollar  diamond  stud,  and  fled,  leaving  Mr.  Aspen 
insensible.  The  dog  then  went  to  a  neighbor  and 
brought  him  to  his  master,  thus  saving  him  from 
freezing  to  death. 

Shortly   after   midnight,    February,    1900,    his   dog 

aroused  Mr.  Mara  of  Flushing,  L.  L,  who  found  two 

men  trying  to  break  into  his  barn.     He  fired  two  shots 

and  the  men  escaped.     A  dog  awoke  the  stable  man, 

Bjno  found  that  two  horses  belonging  to  John  N.  Beyer 

were  already  hitched  to  a  wagon  ready  to  be  driven 

away,  but  the  dog  had  frightened  them  off. 

A  dog  with  an  interesting  history  has  just  died  in 
France.  He  was  a  Newfoundland  named  Sultan,  and 

67 


68         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

he  counted  among  his  exploits  the  arrest  of  a  thief,  the 
capture  of  an  assassin,  the  rescue  of  a  child  from 
drowning  in  the  Marne,  and  of  a  man  who  attempted 
to  commit  suicide  by  jumping  from  the  Pont-Neuf 
into  the  Seine.  For  his  gallantry  the  Society  for  the 
Protection  of  Animals  presented  him  with  a  collar  of 
honor  three  years  ago.  Latterly  Sultan  was  owned  by 
the  Countess  Foucher  de  Carell,  who  relied  on  him  to 
protect  her  castle  at  Perdy,  near  Corbell.  Quite  re- 
cently he  prevented  the  castle  from  being  robbed.  The 
noble  dog  has  paid  his  devotion  to  duty  with  his  life, 
for  he  was  found  dead  in  the  park,  poisoned  by  his 
enemies. 

A  policeman  in  Cleveland,  February,  1900,  hearing  a 
dog  bark  near  him,  turned  and  saw  a  young  man  leav- 
ing a  barn,  and  kicking  the  dog  as  he  passed  by  him. 
Feeling  sure  that  a  man  who  was  doing  right,  would 
not  kick  a  dog,  he  hastened  after  the  burglar,  who  re- 
fused to  stop  even  when  a  pistol  was  fired.  He  was 
found  later  lying  in  the  bottom  of  a  grocery  wagon, 
and  was  locked  up. 

Miss  Salen  of  Cleveland  was  awakened  by  the  vio- 
lent barking  of  a  pet  dog.  She  saw  a  man  trying  to 
crawl  through  the  window  of  her  room,  who  left  when 
he  found  he  had  been  discovered. 

A  lady  at  Spring  Side,  near  Burlington.  N.  J.,  alone 
with  her  five-year-old  son,  found  a  brutal  looking  man 
in  her  dining-room. 

"  What  do  you  want?  "  she  asked. 

"  Something  to  eat,  and  quick,  too,"  said  the  man 
advancing  towards  her. 

A  big  shepherd   dog  in  another  room,   hearing  a 


Dogs  Save  From  Burglars  69 

strange  voice,  bounded  out  and  rushing  past  his  mis- 
tress attacked  the  intruder.  At  first  the  man  tried 
to  shake  the  dog  off,  and  then  he  begged  for  mercy. 
The  woman,  fearing  he  would  be  killed,  called  the 
dog  and  held  him,  while  the  man  hobbled  away,  prob- 
ably to  go  to  some  other  house  where  they  were  not 
wise  enough  to  keep  a  dog  for  protection. 

"  Help,"  a  bull  terrier  owned  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Crane, 
of  Elm  street,  Arlington,  is  well  named,  says  "  Our 
Fellow  Creatures,"  June,  1898.  His  master  thinks 
there  is  nothing  too  good  for  him.  He  was  fed  on 
all  sorts  of  tidbits  and  was  petted  yesterday  because 
he  courageously  assisted  his  master  when  he  was  at- 
tacked by  three  thieves  Tuesday  just  before  midnight 
on  the  Greenwood  Lake  Trestle  Bridge. 

Mr.  Crane  was  about  to  walk  upon  the  trestle  which 
crosses  the  river  at  the  height  of  eighty  feet.  He  had 
taken  hardly  three  steps  upon  this  elevated  passage- 
way when  out  of  the  darkness  sprang  three  men.  Two 
seized  him  by  either  arm,  while  the  third  grabbed  him 
about  the  neck  from  behind. 

"  Help  "  had  lagged  behind,  but  the  noise  of  the 
scuffle  brought  him  on  a'  run.  He  is  a  thoroughbred 
bull  terrier,  with  a  long  ancestry  of  fighters.  Without 
a  note  of  warning  the  footpad  who  held  "  Help's  " 
master  half-strangled  wras  seized  in  the  calf  of  the  leg 
and  bitten  by  "  Help  "  until  the  flesh  and  muscles  seem 
to  have  parted  from  the  bone. 

The  New  York  Herald,  December  18,  1898,  has  the 
following : 

"  Prince,  the  '  policeman  dog,'  whose  watchfulness 
and  prompt  action  have  twice  caused  the  arrest  of  bur- 


70         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

glars  while  they  were  looting  his  owner's  apartments, 
is  lost.  Miss  McGuire's  big  St.  Bernard  followed  her 
to  church  Sunday  night.  For  this  he  was  put  to  bed 
without  his  customary  supper  of  chicken  bones  and 
coffee.  Prince  disappeared  on  the  following  day,  and  a 
reward  is  now  offered  for  his  return. 

"  Although  of  the  usual  tawny  color,  Prince  is  not 
an  ordinary  dog.  His  great  face,  marked  in  black  and 
white,  shines  with  unusual  intelligence.  When  friendly 
he  would  place  his  white  forepaws  on  his  master's 
shoulders  and  stand  even  with  him  in  height.  He 
possessed  an  accurate  knowledge  of  time.  As  soon 
as  his  master  or  mistress  turned  the  corner  of  the 
street  he  would  dash  out  of  the  house,  eager  to  carry 
papers  or  a  cane. 

"  Miss  Jane  McGuire,  who  lives  with  her  nephew, 
Michael  B.  Rock,  at  No.  315  West  Fourteenth  street, 
always  fed  the  dog  with  her  own  hands.  He  soon  be- 
came very  fastidious  in  his  diet.  She  told  me  yes- 
terday that  the  dog — Prince  Charming,  she  called  him 
— always  insisted  on  having  chicken  or  broiled  steaks 
or  chops  for  a  meal.  His  favorite  drink  was  coffee. 
No  trash  would  do  for  him — no  soup  meats  or  dog 
food;  he  wouldn't  eat  a  bit  of  it. 

"  Prince  caused  the  arrest  of  Henry  C.  Porter,  a 
thief,  in  January,  1897.  The  burglar  was  lifting  a 
marble  clock  from  the  mantel  in  the  parlor  when  the 
faithful  watchdog  sprang  upon  him.  The  man  dropped 
the  clock  with  a  crash  and  ran  into  the  hall.  There 
he  was  held  in  terror  by  the  St.  Bernard. ' 

"  In  capturing  his  man  Prince  never  bites.  With  a 
spring  he  places  his  big  paws  about  his  victim  and 


Dogs  Save  From  Burglars  71 

holds  on  until  assistance  arrives.  In  this  way  he  held 
Porter  while  Miss  McGuire  called  lustily  for  help. 
When  a  policeman  reached  the  house,  he  was  able 
quietly  to  handcuff  the  intruder  and  lead  him  away. 

"  Another  night  burglar  was  caught  by  Prince  in 
Miss  McGuire's  apartments  last  March.  He  was  a 
ragpicker,  and  had  half  filled  his  bag  with  valuable 
plunder  before  Prince  sprang  upon  him.  The  man's 
loud  cries  brought  the  household  to  the  scene.  He 
was  badly  frightened  and  stood  motionless  in  the  dog's 
embrace.  Prince  always  had  a  strong  dislike  for  rag- 
pickers, coal  men  or  any  one  who  was  not  well  dressed. 

"  Miss  McGuire  fears  that  one  of  the  dog's  two 
burglars  has  returned  from  prison  and  has  carried 
Prince  away  in  revenge." 

Belle,  a  bull-terrier,  saved  her  master  at  387  Fourth 
avenue,  New  York,  in  October,  1898.  She  was  chained 
in  his  saloon,  when  a  half-drunken  crowd  came  in  to 
rob.  One  of  the  men  attacked  the  keeper,  while  the 
others  proceeded  to  the  cash  machine.  Belle  broke 
her  chain,  bit  two  men  who  were  taking  the  money, 
so  that  they  fled,  and  then  sprang  for  the  man  who 
was  grappling  with  her  master.  Closing  her  teeth  in 
his  side,  she  held  him  till  the  police  arrived,  when  she 
gave  up  the  robber  and  jumped  about  her  master  joy- 
fully as  if  conscious  that  she  had  saved  his  life. 

Our  Fellow  Creatures,  March,  1900,  gives  this 
incident  from  the  New  York  Times :  "  One  night 
last  month  my  wife  was  left  alone  in  the  house,  and 
hearing  a  knock  at  the  basement  door  went  down- 
stairs and  opened  it,  when  she  beheld  a  drunken  tramp. 
Without  a  word  he  thrust  his  leg  into  the  passage, 


72         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  in  reply  to  a  question  as  to  what  he  wanted  replied . 
'  Money  to  get  a  night's  lodging  and  summ'at  to  eat.' 
'  Remove  your  foot  and  I  will  get  you  what  you 
want,'  she  said,  terrified  almost  to  fainting. 

"  '  No ;  ha !  ha ! '  and  then  suspecting  that  she  was 
alone,  he  thrust  his  foot  further  and  soon  had  her 
pressed  against  the  wall  almost  breathless  and  on  the 
point  of  fainting. 

"  She  felt  something  whizz  past  her  shoulder,  and  a 
yell  of  pain  came  from  the  tramp. 

"'O,  what's  that?' 

"  Tiger  had  been  asleep  in  the  kitchen,  and  hearing 
the  commotion  had  darted  over  my  wife's  shoulder 
into  the  brute's  face. 

"  With  a  rush  for  the  street,  where  he  went  sprawl- 
ing, what  might  have  been  a  tragedy  ended,  and  dear 
old  Tiger  had  saved  his  mistress's  life." 

The  Philadelphia  Record  gives  this  account  of  an 
intelligent  collie : 

"Wilmington,  Del.,  Feb.  28.— While  Albert  Spear 
of  Christiana  Hundred,  with  a  wallet  containing  $200 
in  his  pocket,  was  on  his  way  home  last  evening  he 
passed  a  number  of  tramps  in  the  West  Yard  who 
became  threatening.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  dog, 
an  intelligent  collie.  Quickly  pulling  the  wallet  from 
his  pocket,  Spear  placed  it  in  the  canine's  mouth  and 
said,  '  Take  that  home  quick.' 

'  The  dog  started  down  the  road  at  a  rapid  rate 
and  a  tramp  who  saw  the  wallet  in  its  mouth  started 
in  pursuit.  The  canine  rapidly  outstripped  his  pur- 
suer, and  Mr.  Spear  also  escaped.  When  Mr.  Spear 
reached  home  he  found  the  dog  lying  in  the  woodshed 


Dogs  Save  From  Burglars  73 

of  his  house  with  the  wallet  tightly  between  his  fore 
paws." 

"  John  C.  Uhrlaub  owns  a  fine  St.  Bernard  dog 
named  '  Bow  Wow,'  "  says  a  Chicago  paper.  "  Baby 
Ruth  Ehrlaub  and  a  servant,  Techia  Strandeil,  and 
Bow  Wow  went  forth  for  a  promenade  December  23. 
Little  Ruth  was  in  a  baby  carriage,  and  Bow  Wow 
near  the  vehicle. 

"  When  Clark  street  was  reached  the  nurse  stepped 
into  a  photographer's  establishment,  leaving  Ruth  to 
the  care  of  Bow  Wow.  The  servant,  upon  her  return, 
laid  the  photographs,  together  with  her  purse,  on  the 
baby's  lap.  A  minute  later  a  man  passed,  turned  about, 
snatched  the  pocketbook  and  pictures,  and  ran. 

"  Bow  Wow  started  in  pursuit,  reached  the  thief  a 
block  away,  jumped,  and  seized  him  by  the  neck. 
Many  persons  wanted  to  pull  the  dog  off,  not  knowing 
the  circumstances,  but  Bow  Wow  chewed  and  shook 
her  prisoner  until  the  lacerated  thief  shouted  '  Take 
him  away  and  I  will  give  back  the  package  and  pock- 
etbook ' 

"  The  articles  were  turned  over  to  Miss  Strandeil, 
and  the  robber's  freedom  was  restored." 


CHAPTER  V 
Dogs  Save  Life 

IF  we  could  gather  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
accounts  of  lives  saved  by  dogs  each  year,  we 
should  be  astonished  at  the  number. 

The  Topeka  State  Journal  relates  this  touching  inci- 
dent: 

"  Sam  Dodge,  a  ranchman  living  southeast  of 
Caney,  went  to  Vinita,  Indian  Territory,  on  business, 
and  shortly  after  he  had  gone,  Bessie,  his  five-year-old 
child,  wandered  away  from  home  in  an  attempt  to 
follow  him.  Mrs.  Dodge  discovered  her  absence  about 
two  hours  after  Sam's  departure.  She  made  a  thor- 
ough search  of  the  premises,  and  failing  to  find  the 
child,  notified  the  neighbors  of  her  disappearance. 
They  turned  out  in  force,  and  scoured  the  prairies  all 
that  day  and  all  that  night  and  all  the  next  day,  search- 
ing for  the  little  wanderer. 

"  Late  Saturday  evening  an  Indian  came  upon  her 
fast  asleep,  just  south  of  Post  Oak  Creek,  in  an  old 
road  known  as  the  '  whisky  trail/  Across  her  body 
stood  a  Newfoundland  dog,  which  had  always  been  her 
companion  about  the  ranch.  The  dog  was  torn  and 
bleeding,  and  near  his  feet  lay  the  bodies  of^two  wolves. 
Although  her  cheeks  were  stained  with  tears  and  cov- 
ered with  dust,  Bessie  was  unharmed.  She  and  her 
protector  were  taken  back  to  her  home,  a  distance  of 


Dogs  Save  Life  75 

twelve  miles  from  where  they  were  found,  where  the 
dog  died  of  his  wounds  that  night.  He  was  given  a 
decent  burial,  and  yesterday  Sam  Dodge  ordered  a 
marble  monument,  which  will  be  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  faithful  animal's  grave." 

Baby  Harold  Potter,  two  years  old,  wandered  away 
from  his  home  in  Palmer  street,  Watertown.  His 
parents  and  friends  searched  for  him,  and  a  hunting 
dog-  belonging  to  the  family  was  put  upon  the  trail. 
He  started  off  so  rapidly,  that  he  was  lost  sight  of. 
The  police  were  notified  and  continued  the  search  all 
night,  and  until  eight  the  next  morning,  when  the  child 
was  found  near  the  edge  of  a  pond,  half  a  mile  from 
home.  The  dog  was  lying  beside  him  and  had  hold  of 
his  dress.  He  would  allow  nobody  to  touch  the  baby 
except  the  parents.  The  boy  was  cold  and  hungry,  but 
called  to  his  mother,  as  soon  as  he  saw  her,  "  Mamma 
I'm  all  right." 

The  New  York  World,  September  18,  1898,  tells 
this  story: 

"  Little  Eddie  Kleintop,  the  six-year-old  son  of  Ed- 
ward Kleintop,  of  Eldred  Township,  Pa.,  owes  his  life 
to  a  dog's  fidelity.  For  two  days  and  nights  he  was  lost 
in  the  wilds  of  the  Pocono  mountains.  The  child's  ac- 
count is  simple.  This  is  it : 

"  *  I  slept  all  night,  mamma,  and  doggie  was  close  to 
me.  I  took  him  for  a  pillow.  He  was  so  nice  and 
warm.  He  didn't  have  anything  to  eat,  but  I  picked 
an  awful  lot  of  berries.' 

"  The  Kleintops  live  in  the  country,  on  the  border  of 
Carbon  county.  Last  week  Eddie  went  out  with  some 
of  the  neighbors  to  pick  huckleberries.  They  were 


j6         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

so  busy  with  their  berrying  that  they  forgot  about  the 
little  fellow  and  he  wandered  off. 

"  The  woods  and  the  mountain  sides  were  searched 
in  a  vain  effort  to  find  the  missing  child. 

"  That  night  a  fearful  storm  swept  over  the  moun- 
tains. It  was  such  a  night  as  the  bravest  man  would 
not  care  to  be  alone  in  the  mountains.  When  the  Klein- 
tops  thought  of  their  little  child,  thinly  clad  and  un- 
protected, at  the  mercy  of  the  elements  and  perhaps  of 
wild  beasts,  they  shuddered.  '  He  is  dead,'  they  said. 
'  He  could  not  have  lived  through  that  awful  night.' 

"  Two  days  later  Penrose  Walck,  mountaineer, 
slowly  made  his  way  to  the  home  of  the  Kleintops.  In 
his  arms  he  carried  the  lost  Eddie,  and  at  his  heels 
trotted  the  faithful  dog.  Walck  said  he  had  found  the 
little  fellow  four  miles  from  the  place  where  he  was 
lost. 

'  The  wonderful  devotion  of  the  dog  was  shown  in  a 
singular  manner.  Walck  offered  Eddie  some  food  he 
had  with  him,  but  the  child  refused  to  eat  it.  Then  it 
was  offered  the  dog.  but  despite  the  fact  that  it  had 
not  tasted  food  in  two  days  the  dog  refused  to  touch 
it  until  his  little  master  offered  it  to  him.  Then  he 
devoured  it  ravenously. 

"  Never  did  a  child  have  a  truer  friend  than  this  dog 
was  to  Eddie.  When  Walck  approached  them  the  dog 
growled  ominously  and  prepared  to  attack  him.  But 
Eddie  recognized  in  Walck  a  friend  and  ran  to  him, 
and  then  the  dog  came  up  and  meekly  licked  his  hand." 

A  collie,  Rob  Roy  McGregor,  belonging  to  Mrs. 
Thomas  F.  Bayard,  wife  of  our  former  United  States 
Ambassador  to  England,  stopped  a  runaway  horse  in 


Dogs  Save  Life  77 

Wilmington,  Delaware,  and  saved  the  lives  of  a  mother 
and  her  child.  The  collie  sprang  while  the  horse  was 
at  full  speed,  caught  the  reins  in  his  mouth,  and  held 
on.  Once  before,  a  horse  was  loose  in  a  field  and  no- 
body could  catch  him.  The  beautiful  collie  fastened 
his  teeth  in  the  halter-strap  and  held  him. 

Mabel  Kelly,  five  years  old,  of  New  Milford,  Conn., 
saw  a  poisonous  snake  three  feet  long  in  September, 
1899,  sunning  itself  in  the  road.  She  took  a  stick 
to  kill  it,  when  the  snake  turned  upon  her.  and  she  was 
saved  by  her  little  dog,  a  yellow  mongrel,  but  very 
dear  to  her.  The  dog  shook  the  snake  to  death,  but 
was  so  badly  bitten  that  he  dragged  himself  to  the 
roadside  to  die,  looking  pitifully  in  the  face  of  his 
little  mistress  whose  life  he  had  saved  by  giving  his 
own. 

"  Mrs.  Arthur  Beagle,"  says  the  Baltimore  Sun, 
"  accompanied  by  her  ten-year-old  daughter,  was  pick- 
ing berries  near  Rood's  Creek,  and  accompanying  the 
two  was  a  water  spaniel.  When  the  two  arrived  near 
their  home  the  dog  acted  strangely,  brushing  against 
the  child  as  if  to  warn  it  of  danger.  As  the  child  kept 
on  the  dog  would  lie  down  in  the  path  in  front  of  her, 
and  finally  it  was  discovered  that  the  faithful  brute 
was  on  top  of  a  rattlesnake,  which  bit  the  dog  in  numer- 
ous places.  The  child  escaped  unhurt,  and  its  mother 
dispatched  the  reptile,  but  the  dog  died  within  an  hour 
from  the  bites." 

In  October,  1898,  Engineer  Dorsay  saw  a  dog  on  the 
track  near  Edwardsport,  on  the  Indianapolis  and  Vin- 
cennc.s  Road,  acting  in  a  strange  manner.  He  shut  off 
the  steam,  and  soon  perceived  that  the  dog  was  jump- 


78         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

ing  up  and  down  as  though  much  frightened.  An 
object  was  seen  upon  the  track  and  the  train  was 
stopped.  It  proved  to  be  a  baby  from  a  neighboring 
farm  house,  who  had  fallen  asleep  between  the  tracks. 
When  the  engineer  picked  her  up,  the  dog  jumped  upon 
him  and  barked  as  though  wild  with  joy. 

Little  Willie  Slone,  two  years  old,  was  saved  by  his 
Newfoundland  dog,  March,  1896,  at  the  foot  of  Jones 
Fork  Mountain  in  Kentucky.  A  gray  eagle,  seven 
feet  from  tip  to  tip,  swooped  down  upon  the  child  and 
buried  its  talons  in  his  side.  The  dog  caught  the  eagle 
by  the  leg,  and  the  father  arrived  in  time  to  assist  the 
dog  in  killing  the  eagle. 

Johnny  Soper,  in  Essex  county,  New  York,  went  to 
find  a  lost  calf  in  a  piece  of  woods  near  the  Bouquet 
river.  His  dog,  St.  Bernard  and  pointer  combined, 
went  with  him.  Suddenly  in  the  growing  darkness 
the  boy  heard  his  dog  fighting,  and  hastening  to  the 
place,  found  that  he  had  killed  a  bear  cub.  The  mother 
soon  appeared  and  sprang  towards  the  boy,  thinking 
probably  that  he  was  the  cause  of  her  loss,  her  claws 
brushing  his  clothes.  In  another  instant  she  would 
have  crushed  him,  but  the  noble  dog  sprang  forward 
and  fought  the  animal,  while  the  boy  escaped.  It  was 
found  afterwards  by  the  tracks,  that  the  bear  had  two 
cubs,  and  had  probably  buried  the  dead  one  in  the  soft 
sand  of  the  river  bed. 

Reuben  Harps,  a  Wilkesbarre  hunter,  was  saved  by 
his  faithful  dog,  the  last  of  November,  1899.  He 
started  out  from  Stauffers,  Pa.,  on  Monday,  and  on 
Tuesday  evening  his  dog  returned,  covered  with  blood. 
The  villagers  became  alarmed  and  a  searching  party 


Dogs  Save  Life  79 

of  twenty  men  with  guns  and  lanterns  started  out.  In 
a  dense  thicket  they  found  Harps,  unconscious,  and  in 
a  dying  condition,  covered  with  wounds,  and  by  his 
side  a  large  black  bear,  dead.  Dog  and  bear  must  have 
fought,  perhaps  after  the  bear  had  been  wounded  by 
the  hunter.  Finding  that  there  was  no  response  from 
his  unconscious  master,  the  dog  crawled  to  the  village 
for  aid. 

David  Murray,  living  near  Denning,  Canada,  went 
out  to  visit  his  traps.  Suddenly  a  wild-cat  sprang 
upon  him  from  behind,  and  felled  him  to  the  ground, 
breaking  his  arm  and  tearing  his  face  and  breast  with 
her  claws.  When  nearly  exhausted,  the  man  heard  his 
dog  howling  in  the  distance.  Summoning  all  his 
strength  he  called  for  "  Spot."  The  dog  flew  through 
the  forest,  and  was  soon  engaged  in  a  death  struggle 
with  the  cat.  When'  Murray  revived  from  a  fainting 
spell,  both  dog  and  cat  were  dead  on  the  snow  beside 
him.  The  dog  had  saved  him,  but  died  in  the  attempt. 

Fido  saved  the  life  of  his  master,  Henry  Miller,  of 
Chicago,  in  October,  1896.  Having  gathered  some 
nuts,  the  man  espied  a  woodchuck,  and  borrowing  a 
shovel  from  a  house  a  mile  away  he  proceeded  to  dig 
the  animal  from  its  burrow.  Suddenly  a  portion  of 
the  overhanging  bank  gave  way,  and  the  man  was 
buried  in  gravel  up  to  his  head.  He  shouted  for  help, 
but  there  was  none  at  hand.  Then  he  told  Fido  to  dig, 
and  the  faithful  creature  understood,  and  dug  as  fast 
as  possible  for  a  half  hour.  Then  Miller  was  able  to 
move  one  arm,  and  finally  extricate  himself  from  a 
lingering  death. 

The  Alliance,  New  York,  has  this  strange  story  of 


80          Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Dan,  a  deerhound :  ''  L.  C.  Meachamp,  who  lives  at 
Homer,  La.,  is  a  great  hunter,  and  has  a  fine  deer- 
hound,  Dan.  of  which  he  is  justly  proud.  A  few 
months  ago  Mr.  Meachamp  was  going  squirrel-hunt- 
ing, and  in  order  to  keep  Dan  at  home  he  was  compelled 
to  tie  him  up.  The  hound  whined  and  begged,  but 
finding  his  master  was  obdurate,  he  at  last  lay  quite 
peaceably  before  his  kennel  all  day. 

"  At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  however,  when 
Mrs.  Meachamp  was  beginning  to  look  for  her  husband's 
return,  Dan  became  so  unusually  restless  that  she  went 
out  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  In  spite  of  her  re- 
peated efforts  she  could  do  nothing  to  pacify  him,  and 
at  last,  to  her  utter  astonishment,  he  broke  the  rope, 
bounded  away  over  the  fence  and  into  the  woods.  He 
was  gone  probably  a  half  hour,  when  he  came  running 
back,  panting  and  almost  breathless,  with  his  master's 
hat  in  his  mouth. 

"  Mrs.  Meachamp  became  at  once  alarmed,  and  call- 
ing her  son  they  set  out  to  find  Mr.  Meachamp,  the  dog 
all  the  time  bounding  along  in  front  and  leading  the 
way.  At  last  they  came  upon  Mr.  Meachamp  lying 
helpless  in  the  woods,  where  at  precisely  five  o'clock  he 
had  fallen  in  a  little  ditch  and  broken  a  small  bone  in 
his  leg.  The  dog's  knowledge  of  the  accident  at  the 
very  moment  of  its  occurrence  seems  almost  incredi- 
ble, but  the  truth  of  this  is  beyond  dispute." 

Fred  Emerson,  of  Bolivar,  Allegany  county,  N.  Y., 
February.  1900,  while  hunting  squirrels,  came  across 
the  tracks  of  a  strange  animal.  He  followed  until  he 
reached  a  small  cave,  and  looking  in  saw  a  pair  of 
gleaming  eyes,  and  fired.  The  creature,  a  black  pan- 


Dogs  Save  Life  8 1 

ther  escaped  from  a  traveling  circus,  which  if  left  alone, 
would  probably  have  hidden  in  peace,  was  slightly 
wounded,  and  rushed  upon  her  pursuer.  The  faithful 
dog  tried  to  save  his  master,  and  was  torn  in  pieces. 
The  panther  was  finally  killed,  but  not  until  the  hunter 
was  seriously  injured. 

Dr.  John  Nugent,  Coroner  of  Suffolk  county,  who 
practices  in  Southampton,  Long  Island,  fell  into  the 
quicksand  near  that  town  in  November,  1897.  His 
Newfoundland  dog  saw  him  fall,  and  at  once  ran  off, 
returning  with  Mr.  A.  Cornith,  who  rescued  the  doc- 
tor. Mr.  Cornith  followed  the  dog,  aroused  by  curi- 
osity at  his  strange  actions. 

Captain  Van  Brunt  of  the  Deal  Lake,  N.  J.,  Life- 
Saving  Station,  patrolled  the  beach  every  night,  though 
ill,  accompanied  by  his  Newfoundland  dog  One  night 
he  fell  in  the  sand,  half  conscious.  He  reached  out  his 
cane,  and  the  dog  seizing  the  end  in  his  teeth,  dragged 
him  to  his  feet.  Several  times  he  fell  before  reaching 
the  station,  each  time  helped  by  his  faithful  dog. 

Mr.  Jeff  Stringham,  of  North  Fairfield,  Ohio,  was 
crushed  to  the  ground  by  his  heavy  barn  door  falling 
upon  him  when  he  attempted  to  open  it,  early  one  De- 
cember morning  in  1897.  He  called  for  his  family, 
but  all  were  asleep.  His  dog,  seeming  to  realize  the 
perilous  position  of  his  master  began  barking  and  run- 
ning between  the  house  and  barn,  and  finally  awakened 
the  wife,  who  saw  that  something  was  wrong.  When 
she  reached  her  husband,  she  could  not  lift  the  heavy 
weight,  and  hastily  called  the  neighbors.  The  man 
was  badly  injured,  and  could  not  have  survived,  had 
not  his  faithful  dog  brought  him  aid. 


82         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  On  Thursday  night  of  last  week,"  says  the  Phillips- 
burg  Ledger,  quoting  from  the  Coalport  Standard, 
"  Farmer  L.  Imler,  living  near  Utahville,  returned 
from  Houtzdale,  where  he  had  been  to  collect  some 
money,  and  while  putting  his  horse  away  in  the  barn 
was  assaulted  by  two  unknown  ruffians,  who  had, 
doubtless,  followed  him  from  Houtzdale  to  rob  him. 
One  of  the  ruffians  struck  him  with  a  knife  while  the 
other  beat  him  with  a  club.  They  would  have  mur- 
dered him  but  for  the  sudden  appearance  of  Mr.  Imler's 
huge  farm  dog,  which  bounded  on  the  scene  and  pinned 
one  of  the  villains  to  the  ground,  allowing  Mr.  Imler 
to  escape  to  the  house,  where  he  aroused  his  family  and 
rang  the  farm  bell  and  brought  the  neighbors  to  the 
rescue.  The  dog  in  the  meantime  fought  valiantly,  but 
the  two  robbers  managed  to  escape  from  him  and  got 
away  in  the  darkness." 

A  shepherd  dog,  Gyp,  found  Timothy  J.  Smith  who 
lives  between  Morris  Plains  and  Littleton,  N.  ].,  un- 
conscious in  a  snowdrift,  February  17,  1900.  He  had 
gone  to  Morristown  to  purchase  supplies,  and  attempt- 
ing to  walk  home,  fell  exhausted  about  ten  o'clock 
within  a  short  distance  of  his  house.  The  dog  whined 
and  barked  at  the  door  of  the  Smith  family  and  led 
them  to  the  spot.  In  another  hour  the  man  would  have 
been  dead  from  exposure. 

A  dog  persistently  barked  at  the  front  gate  of  Mr. 
I.  F.  Miller  who  lives  three  miles  south  of  Mexico, 
Mo.,  one  cold  night  in  early  March,  1899.  After  being 
awakened,  he  went  out  and  followed  the  dog  to  where 
Samuel  Colver  lay  by  the  roadside,  apparently  dead 


Dogs  Save  Life  8'v; 

from  cold.  He  was  taken  into  the  house  and  revived 
though  hands  and  feet  were  frozen. 

A  bridge  jumper  connected  with  the  Wild  West 
Show  jumped  from  a  railroad  trestle  at  Canal  Dover. 
Ohio,  into  a  creek.  His  head  was  cut  badly,  and  in  an 
unconscious  condition  he  was  dragged  from  the  water 
by  his  pet  Newfoundland  dog. 

David  Symon,  wife  and  child  were  nearly  suffocated 
by  coal  gas  in  their  home,  at  Springfield,  Ohio,  Decem- 
ber, 1898,  and  were  saved  by  the  continual  barking  of 
their  dog,  which  awakened  them.  They  were  nearly 
overcome,  but  Mr.  Symon,  though  very  weak,  managed 
to  get  to  a  door. 

The  Boston  Herald,  January  14,  1900,  gives 
the  following  account  of  two  lives  saved  by  a 
dog: 

"  Several  families  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Meeting 
House  Hill,  Dorchester,  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
asphyxiation  early  Friday  morning,  owing  to  a 
neglected  break  in  a  gas  main,  caused,  it  is  thought,  by 
blasting  nearby  during  the  day,  which  cracked  the 
pipe  and  allowed  the  gas  to  escape. 

"  About  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Mrs.  Charles  H. 
Shephard  of  198  Hancock  street  was  awakened  by  the 
whining  and  barking  of  a  dog  in  her  sleeping  apart- 
ments, and  at  once  noticed  a  strong  odor  of  gas.  Arous- 
ing her  husband,  they  both  arose,  but  were  so  over- 
come by  the  fumes  that  they  fell  to  the  floor. 

"  Mr.  Shephard  had  just  enough  strength  left  to  call 
his  brother,  who  occupied  a  room  overhead,  and  the 
latter  went  to  the  assistance  of  the  couple,  who  were 


84         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

carried  to  a  neighbor's  house.      A  doctor  was  called 
and,  after  some  time,  they  were  revived. 

"  A  cat  in  the  cellar  was  found  dead  later,  and  it 
would  probably  have  only  been  a  question  of  a  short 
time  when  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shephard  would  have 
met  a  like  fate  had  it  not  been  for  the  faithful  animal 
that  awoke  them." 

A  dog  saved  Stephen  Traub  from  a  terrible  death  in 
December,  1899,  at  Duncott  village.  Pa.  A  bull  which 
he  was  leading  threw  him  to  the  ground,  pawed  and 
horned  him,  until  his  dog  by  his  fighting  diverted  the 
attention  cf  the  angry  animal.  Some  neighbors  with 
clubs  rescued  the  nearly  dead  man. 

Sport,  a  shepherd  dog,  saved  the  life  of  a  little 
child  belonging  to  Martin  Fitzgerald,  near  Monroe. 
Ind.,  in  the  summer  of  1898.  The  child  had  gone  into 
a  pen  where  there  were  hogs,  and  they  were  seeking 
to  tear  it  to  pieces.  Sport  kept  them  at  bay  by  his 
frantic  barking  till  his  master  appeared.  Sport  was 
old,  and  his  barking  had  so  annoyed  the  farmer  neigh- 
bors, that  it  had  been  decided  to  kill  him.  Now  that 
his  barking  has  saved  the  life  of  their  child,  he  is  grate- 
fully cared  for,  and  appreciated  for  his  devotion. 

Mrs.  Florence  Cook,  of  Chicago,  in  January,  1899. 
being  called  to  her  door,  her  collie  growled  sus- 
piciously, and  despite  her  command  to  lie  down,  stood 
close  to  the  door  as  she  unlocked  it.  In  an  instant  he 
attacked  the  man  who  had  intended  to  throw  carbolic 
acid  on  the  woman,  but  who  missed  his  aim  in  part. 
As  the  man  fled  down  the  back  stairs,  the  dog  rushed 
after  and  fought  him  till  captors  arrived.  The  dog 
was  badly  burned  on  his  back  and  exhausted  by  blows 


Dogs  Save  Life  85 

irom  the  unknown  assailant,  but  his  mistress  had  been 
saved  from  death,  or  disfigurement  for  life. 

Jennie  Buschell,  twelve  years  old,  living  near  Bath 
Avenue,  Bath  Beach,  N.  Y.,  brought  home  a  littk 
yellow  dog  in  September,  1899,  that  did  not  look,  to 
the  family,  worth  keeping.  He  became  deeply  attached 
to  the  young  girl,  and  was  always  at  her  side.  One 
day,  going  down  the  street,  a  mastiff  came  along  and 
seized  the  little  dog.  The  girl  tried  to  rescue  him,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  him  in  her  arms,  when  the  mastiff, 
now  become  angry,  sprang  upon  her  and  bore  her  to 
the  ground.  The  yellow  dog  jumped  from  her  arms. 
and  instead  of  running  away  in  fright,  caught  the 
mastiff  by  the  lower  jaw  and  held  on.  He  was  soon 
shaken  off  and  killed  by  the  big  dog.  Meantime  a 
policeman  appeared  and  shot  the  mastiff,  and  carried 
the  unconscious  girl  to  her  home.  She  mourned  deeply 
for  the  pet  who  gave  his  life  to  save  hers. 

F.  W.  Spang,  in  the  November,  1899,  Dog  Fancier, 
relates  the  following: 

"  In  the  borough  of  Norristown,  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.,  a  certain  lady  unexpectedly  received  a 
large  sum  of  money — about  $1,600 — being  delivered  to 
her  by  express,  after  banking  hours.  She  was  a  widow, 
lived  alone,  and  was  afraid  to  keep  the  money  over 
night.  Shortly  afterwards  her  milkman  came  around 
on  his  evening  trip,  and  having  been  acquainted  with 
him  for  eleven  years,  and  knowing  him  to  bear  an  ex- 
cellent reputation,  she  confided  to  him  and  asked  his 
advice  as  to  what  she  ought  to  do.  The  milkman 
readily  agreed  to  help  her,  stating  that  he  would  bring 
his  watch  dog,  and  assured  her  that  she  and  the 


86         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

money  would  be  perfectly  safe.  An  hour  later  the 
milkman  returned  with  the  dog.  a  white  English  bull- 
terrier,  and  told  the  lady  to  keep  the  dog  in  her  own 
room  over  night.  She  was  no  lover  of  dogs,  at  least  at 
that  time,  yet  she  followed  the  milkman's  advice.  She 
slept  soundly  that  night,  having  implicit  confidence  in 
the  milkman's  word  that  the  dog  would  protect  her  and 
the  money. 

"  On  the  following  morning  when  she  awoke  she 
was  shocked  to  see  lying  on  her  bedroom  floor  the  dead 
body  of  a  man — her  milkman, — with  his  face  and 
throat  frightfully  torn  by  his  own  faithful  watch  dog. 
It  was  clearly  evident  that  the  milkman's  intention  was 
robbery.  Whether  the  dog  recognized  his  master  at 
the  first  leap,  is  of  course  not  known,  but  he  probably 
did  not.  The  milkman  gained  an  entrance  through  a 
window,  immediately  inside  of  which  the  body  was 
lying,  showing  that  the  dog  awaited  his  opportunity 
and  then  performed  his  work  in  a  manner  that  was 
swift,  sure  and  terrible,  yet  commendable. 

"  The  other  incident  happened  in  New  Jersey,  also 
illustrating  the  value  of  the  bull-terrier  as  a  watch  dog. 
A  lady,  living  alone  had  a  presentiment  that  she  would 
be  murdered  that  night.  She  was  in  great  agony 
and  went  to  a  neighbor's  house  to  ask  one  of  the  family 
to  come  and  stay  with  her.  The  members  of  the 
family  were  all  away,  except  the  mother,  who  sug- 
gested that  the  lady  should  take  home  with  her  their 
watch  dog.  This  proposition  was  agreed  to.  The  dog 
accompanied  the  distressed  lady  to  her  home,  and  fol- 
lowed her  about  the  barn  and  garden  while  she  was 
doing  her  evening  work,  and  when  she  retired  for  the 


Dogs  Save  Life  87 

night  she  locked  the  dog  in  the  room  with  her,  During 
the  first  part  of  the  night  she  was  wakeful,  but  after 
midnight  she  slept  soundly.  She  remembered  of  being 
awakened  once,  towards  morning,  when  the  dog 
jumped  up  on  her  bed,  but  hearing  no  disturbance,  she 
supposed  the  dog  was  restless  and  ordered  him  off  the 
bed.  The  animal  obeyed  and  the  lady  slept  again.  In 
the  early  morning  when  she  opened  her  eyes  and 
glanced  toward  the  window  she  was  horrified  to  see 
a  man's  body  hanging  across  the  sill,  his  head  inside  of 
the  room.  His  right  hand  still  clutched  a  big  butcher 
knife,  and  the  blood  was  oozing  from  great  gashes  in 
his  throat.  He  was  dead.  But  the  dog,  motionless, 
stood  watching  him.  The  man  was  the  lady's  son-in- 
law.  The  bull-terrier  is  no  respecter  of  persons  and 
when  he  is  assigned  to  guard  life  or  property,  or  both, 
does  his  duty.'' 

The  story  of  Barry,  the  St.  Bernard  dog  who  lived 
with  the  monks  in  the  Convent  of  St.  Bernard  is  well 
known.  He  served  the  hospital  in  the  Alps  for  twelve 
years,  and  saved  no  less  than  forty  persons.  He  used 
to  go  out  alone  in  the  deep  snow  in  search  of  lost 
travelers,  barking  at  the  top  of  his  lungs  as  he  went, 
sometimes  falling  from  exhaustion.  When  he  could 
not  drag  back  a  traveler  alone,  he  hastened  to  the  hos- 
pital for  aid. 

One  day  he  found  a  child  apparently  dead  from 
cold  between  the  bridge  of  Dronaz  and  the  icehouse 
of  Balsora.  He  licked  the  boy  till  he  warmed  him 
into  consciousness,  when  he  induced  him  to  tie  himself 
to  his  warm,  shaggy  body  and  he  carried  him  to  the 
hospital 


88          Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

When  Barry  was  too  old  to  help,  the  friar  of  the 
Convent  pensioned  him  at  Bern,  and  when  he  died, 
his  skin  was  stuffed  and  placed  in  the  museum  of  that 
town.  The  little  flask  which  he  used  to  carry  about 
his  neck  filled  with  brandy  for  persons  exhausted  in 
the  mountains,  is  still  hung  about  his  neck. 

The  Humane  Alliance  for  December,  1899,  gives 
this  account  of  Red  Cross  Dogs.  St.  Bernard  dogs 
are  also  trained  in  the  United  States,  to  carry  food, 
water  and  medicine  to  wounded  soldiers  on  battlefields, 
as  in  the  French  and  German  armies : 

"  A  man  in  Germany  named  Bungartz  has  been 
training  clogs  for  hospital  use.  He  has  had  the  best 
success  with  collies,  and  so  he  calls  them  Red  Cross 
dogs,  after  the  Red  Cross,  whose  members  go  to  the 
battlefield  and  do  what  they  can  to  help  the  'wounded 
or  ill.  They  wear  a  red  cross  on  their  uniform,  and 
the  dogs,  trained  to  help  them,  wear  a  harness  with  a 
large  red  cross  on  the  saddlebags,  in  which  are  carried 
restoratives.  A  lantern  is  strapped  on  the  dog's  back 
at  night,  so  he  can  be  seen,  and  when  he  is  car- 
rying a  message  between  the  officers  of  the  dif- 
ferent ranks  of  the  hospital  columns  he  has  a 
small  flag  with  a  red  cross  on  a  white  ground  fastened 
on  him. 

"  The  professional  training  of  a  Red  Cross  dog  be- 
gins in  a  room  in  which  the  dog  has  learned  his  lessons 
of  obedience  to  his  master.  His  master  holds  him  in 
the  leash,  while  the  assistant  takes  the  dog's  rug  and 
lies  down  on  it  in  another  corner  of  the  room.  The 
master  leads  the  dog  a  little  way  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection, then  turns  suddenly,  and  with  the  command, 


Dogs  Save  Life  89 

'  Forward,  march !  Seek  the  wounded !  '  leads  the  pupil 
directly  up  to  the  prostrate  man.  The  latter  then  gives 
the  dog  some  favorite  morsel,  but  first  the  pupil 
must  have  obeyed  the  command  to  give  tongue.  Then 
the  process  is  repeated  again  and  again,  until  on  com- 
mand, '  Seek  the  wounded ! '  the  dog,  without  leash, 
goes  directly  to  the  assistant  and  gives  tongue.  Then 
the  lessons  are  repeated  out-of-doors,  where  the  dis- 
tance is  lengthened,  and,  finally,  the  assistant  hides 
himself  in  a  bush  or  ditch  until  the  dog  learns  to  seek 
independently. 

"  The  last  lessons  and  the  tests  of  the  pupils  are 
held  at  night,  and  Bungartz  tells  of  remarkable  work 
done  by  his  dogs  on  nights  so  dark  that  the  seeking 
party  passed  within  five  feet  of  the  prostrate  man  on 
open  ground,  and  but  for  the  collie  would  not  have 
found  him.  Bungartz's  prize  pupil,  a  female  collie  not 
quite  a  year  old,  learned  in  two  weeks  to  find  the  most 
carefully  hidden  man  with  perfect  ease,  and  independ- 
ent of  any  help  but  the  command,  '  Seek  the  wounded ! ' 
The  dogs  are  also  taught  to  crouch  beside  the  wounded 
man,  if  he  shows  signs  of  life,  that  he  may  open  the 
bag  and  find  restoratives." 

Peepsie,  a  little  Scotch  terrier,  saved  the  life  of  his 
aged  mistress  the  last  of  November,  1898.  A  woman 
old  and  feeble  was  walking  with  her  pet  dog  in  Central 
Park,  New  York,  when  they  became  separated  in  the 
snow.  She  searched  for  him,  and  finally  exhausted, 
sat  down  on  a  bench  and  fell  asleep.  When  the  dog 
found  his  owner  he  began  to  bark  and  try  to  jump  into 
her  lap.  His  barking  attracted  the  attention  of  a 
policeman,  who  went  to  find  the  cause  of  it,  and 


90         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

aroused  the  woman.  "  I  owe  my  life  to  my  little  dog," 
she  said. 

Our  Dumb  Animals,  May,  1897,  tells  how  a  child 
was  saved  from  savages : 

"  Several  years  ago  in  Wisconsin,  before  the  Indian 
had  retired  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  white  man, 
a  mother  and  her  little  girl  were  alone  in  their  cottage 
on  the  edge  of  a  great  forest.  Everything  seemed 
peaceful  and  there  was  no  thought  of  danger.  The 
mother  sat  beside  the  door  sewing,  while  the  child  was 
in  the  bright  sunshine  playing;  their  large  black  dog 
Cuff  was  the  only  other  member  of  the  family.  Sud- 
denly half  a  dozen  Indians  fresh  from  a  recent  raid 
on  whiskey  stood  in  the  door-way  and  demanded  more 
whiskey.  The  lady  had  no  whiskey  but  offered  them 
food  and  drink.  The  Indians,  however,  were  drunk, 
and  before  the  mother  could  interfere  the  roughest 
seized  the  little  girl  and  was  making  off  with  her, 
when  the  dog,  which  had  wandered  away  a  short  dis- 
tance, came  bounding  back.  In  an  instant  he  had  the 
savage  by  the  throat  and  threw  him  to  the  ground ;  the 
others,  having  no  fire-arms,  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  The 
dog  kept  a  tight  grip  on  the  Indian  until  they  had  all 
gone,  then  released  him  and  he  also  departed." 

In  Sagacity  of  Animals,  a  book  beautifully  illus- 
trated by  Harrison  Weir,  this  story  is  told  of  a  mastiff 
saving  life :  "  Sir  Henry  Lee  had  a  mastiff,  which 
guarded  his  house  and  yard,  but  was  never  admitted 
into  the  house.  One  night  as  Sir  Henry,  attended  by 
his  favorite  Italian  servant,  was  retiring  to  his  cham- 
ber, the  mastiff  silently  followed  him  upstairs,  which 
he  had  never  been  known  to  do  before;  and  although 


Dogs  Save  Life  91 

they  tried  to  drive  him  away,  he  scratched  so  violently 
at  the  door,  and  howled  so  piteously,  that  at  last  Sir 
Henry  desired  his  servant  to  open  the  door  and  admit 
the  dog.  The  animal,  having  thus  gained  an  entrance, 
crept  under  the  bed,  and  laid  himself  clown,  as  if  in- 
tending to  remain  there  for  the  night.  The  master, 
to  save  further  trouble,  allowed  him  to  lie  there,  and 
shortly  afterwards  the  servant  withdrew,  and  all  was 
still.  In  the  dead  of  night  the  chamber-door  was 
opened,  and  some  person  was  heard  softly  creeping 
across  the  room.  The  dog  immediately  sprang  from 
his  hiding  place  and  pinned  the  disturber  to  the  spot. 
Sir  Henry,  having  awoke  from  his  sleep,  rang  for 
lights,  when,  what  was  the  master's  astonishment  to 
find  that  the  man  was  his  Italian  servant!  This  man 
afterwards  confessed  that  it  had  been  his  intention  to 
murder  his  master,  and  then  rob  the  house.  This 
horrible  design  was  prevented  by  the  singular  sagacity 
of  the  dog,  and  his  devoted  attachment  to  his  master. 
A  full-length  picture  of  Sir  Henry  with  the  mastiff  by 
his  side,  and  the  words  '  More  faithful  than  favored/ 
is  still  preserved  among  the  family  pictures." 

The  Philadelphia  North  American  gives  this  inci- 
dent of  an  electric  car  in  Chicago,  in  August,  1899: 

"  Alice  Pedro,  six  years  old,  went  out  for  a  walk  this 
evening  with  her  Newfoundland  dog,  Don,  and  while 
crossing  the  street  car  track  at  North  Clark  street  and 
Sunny  Side  avenue,  she  caught  her  toe  and  fell  to  the 
ground.  Not  far  to  the  northward  a  trolley  car  was 
coming  toward  the  child,  who,  shocked  by  the  fall,  lay 
in  the  middle  of  the  track. 

"  It  took  the  dog  about  ten  seconds  to  take  mental 


92         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

note  of  the  situation,  and  then  he  began  to  show  signs 
of  great  distress.  He  gazed  anxiously  up  the  track 
in  the  direction  of  the  approaching  car.  He  pranced 
about  the  child  and  barked.  He  took  her  dress  in  his 
teeth  and  pulled,  but  the  dress  tore.  For  a  moment 
the  dog  seemed  to  be  in  despair.  The  car  was  coming 
fast  and  something  had  to  be  done,  and  then  he  wheeled 
about  and  started  up  the  track  as  fast  as  his  body  would 
allow,  to  flag  the  car. 

"  Barking  furiously,  the  big  dog  ran  right  in  the 
middle  of  the  track.  If  there  ever  was  a  clear  case  of 
reason  in  animals  there  was  one  here.  The  motorman 
saw  the  dog  coming  and  at  first  thought  the  beast  was 
mad.  He  clapped  on  the  brakes  and  as  the  car  slowed 
up  and  stopped  Don  was  compelled  to  run  backward 
to  keep  out  from  under  the  wheels.  He  would  not 
get  off  the  track. 

"  The  instant  the  car  had  come  to  a  standstill  the 
dog  bounded  back  to  his  small  mistress,  who  by  this 
time  was  on  her  feet.  The  only  reward  he  asked  was  a 
pat  on  the  head." 

Our  Dumb  Animals  quotes  from  the  Philadelphia 
Press  of  August  30,  1899 : 

"  Deeds  of  heroism  have  been  enacted  in  Alaska 
which  history  will  never  chronicle.  The  mantle  of 
death  forever  covers  scenes  which  will  be  buried  in 
oblivion  until  the  time  when  all  secrets  are  revealed, 
and  justice — stern,  implacable  justice — is  meted  out  to 
all. 

"  Upon  the  desolate  waste  of  that  inhospitable 
glacier,  the  Valdes.  which  has  proved  a  sepulchre  to  so 
many  bright  hopes  and  earnest  aspirations,  last  winter 


Dogs  Save  Life  93 

a  party  of  prospectors  we  Damped ;  day  after  day  had 
the  men  worked  their  way,  uc<ith  disputing  every  foot 
with  them,  until  it  was  decided  that  the  main  party 
remain  in  camp  and  two  of  their  number,  accompanied 
only  by  a  dog,  start  out  to  find  a  trail  which  would 
lead  away  from  a  veritable  death  trap  of  the  terrible 
Valdes  Glacier.  For  days  did  these  two  wander,  until 
nature  succumbed  and  they  lay  down  weary  and  ex- 
hausted, to  sleep  the  sleep  from  which  there  is  no 
awakening. 

"  Their  faithful  companion  clung  to  thqpi,  and  the 
warmth  of  his  body  was  grateful,  as  they  crouched 
down  with  the  bitter  ice-laden  wind  howling  about 
them. 

"  Their  scanty  stock  of  provisions  was  well  nigh 
exhausted,  when  one  of  them  suggested  sending  the 
dog  back  to  the  camp.  This  was  a  forlorn  hope,  but  it 
was  the  only  chance  they  had.  Quickly  writing  a  few 
words  on  a  leaf  torn  from  a  book,  they  made  it  fast 
around  his  neck,  and  encouraged  him  to  start  back  on 
the  trail. 

"  The  sagacious  animal  did  not  appear  to  under- 
stand, but  after  repeated  efforts  they  persuaded  him  to 
go  and  he  was  soon  swallowed  up  in  the  snow,  the 
mist  and  the  storm. 

"  Two  days  and  nights  passed,  during  which  these 
men  suffered  untold  agonies.  On  the  evening  of  the 
third  day,  when  all  hope  had  gone  and  they  were  re- 
signed to  their  fate,  from  the  drifting  and  blinding 
snow  bounded  their  faithful  dog,  and  close  behind  him 
came  ready  hands  to  minister  to  their  wants. 

"  The  remainder  of  the  story  is  simple.     The  whole 


94         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

party  returned,  having  abandoned  their  useless  quest, 
and  on  the  last  Topeka  going  south  were  two  grateful 
men  and  a  very  ordinary  looking  dog.  But  '  that 
dog  will  never  want  as  long  as  we  two  live/  said  a 
grizzled  and  sunburnt  man." 

Our  Dumb  Animals,  July,  1899,  the  official  organ  of 
the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals, 
copies  the  following  from  the  New  York  Sun :  "  A 
schooner  went  ashore  off  San  Buenaventura,  Cal.,  the 
other  day,  and  the  crew  were  in  danger  of  being  lost. 
They  owe  t^eir  safety  to  a  fine  Irish  setter  that  swam 
out  through  the  breakers  and  seized  a  stake  that  had 
been  thrown  overboard  with  a  rope  attached,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  it  to  the  shore.  Is  this  true,  Ven- 
tura? — Santa  Paula  Chronicle." 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,  and  happened  eight  or  ten  years 
ago.  The  dog  belonged  to  Sheriff  Charlebois.  The 
schooner  Guallala  was  unloading  lumber  at  the  Ventura 
wharf  when  suddenly  heavy  swells  set  in  from  the 
southwest.  The  schooner  broke  loose  from  her  moor- 
ings and  went  ashore  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  east  of 
the  wharf.  The  sea  was  running  high  and  the  breakers 
dashed  over  the  vessel.  The  sailors  sought  safety  in 
the  riggings.  No  boat  could  be  launched,  to  attempt 
to  swim  ashore  was  certain  death. 

"  The  beach  was  crowded  with  people,  helping  to  aid 
the  terror-stricken  crew.  The  sailors  were  trying  to 
get  a  line  ashore  by  throwing  a  small  rope  with  a 
small  stick  tied  to  it,  but  without  success.  Misses 
Emma  and  Celia  Charlebois  were  on  the  beach  with 
their  pet  dog,  Dash,  and  seeing  the  sailors  trying  to 
get  the  line  ashore,  said :  '  Why,  Dash  will  bring  that 


Dogs  Save  Life  95 

line  ashore.  Come  here,  Dash,'  said  one  of  the  little 
girls,  (Miss  Celia)  'go  and  bring  that  line  to  me.' 
She  pointed  to  the  sailors  who  were  constantly  throw- 
ing the  line  into  the  water.  Dash  gave  a  bark  and 
sprang  into  the  sea  and  soon  had  the  stick  in  his  mouth 
and  brought  the  line  ashore.  The  dog  was  fairly 
hugged  by  the  crowd.  In  a  few  moments  a  big 
hawser  was  pulled  ashore  and  made  fast  and  the  crew 
were  saved. 

"  Dash  was  one  of  the  most  intelligent  dogs  ever 
known  in  Ventura.  He  was  the  pride  of  the  town. — 
Ventura  (Cal.)  Independent,  April  27,  1899." 

Our  Dumb  Animals  for  April,  1897,  tells  how  the 
Dutch  Republic  was  saved : 

"  The  Hon.  Charles  Francis  Adams  writes  the 
Boston  Herald  as  follows : 

"  Most  persons  have  heard  of  the  Great  William  of 
Orange,  called  '  The  Silent.'  If  the  dog  enemies  will 
turn  to  Motley's  '  History  of  the  Rise  of  the  Dutch 
Republic'  (vol.  2,  p.  398),  they'll  find  this  little  inci- 
dent related:  On  the  night  of  the  I2th  of  September, 
1572,  a  body  of  Alva's  Spanish  troops  surprised  Dutch 
William's  camp.  They  slaughtered  right  and  left — 
'  for  two  hours'  long  the  Spaniards  butchered  their 
foes.'  Then  Motley  goes  on  to  describe  what  happened : 

"  *  The  boldest,  led  by  Julian  in  person,  made  at 
once  for  the  Prince's  tent.  His  guards  and  himself 
were  in  a  profound  sleep,  but  a  small  spaniel,  which 
always  passed  the  night  upon  his  bed,  was  a  more 
faithful  sentinel.  The  creature  sprang  forward,  bark- 
ing furiously  at  the  sound  of  hostile  footsteps,  and 
scratching  his  master's  face  with  his  paws.  There 


96         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

was  but  just  time  for  the  Prince  to  mount  a  horse, 
which  was  ready  saddled,  and  to  effect  his  escape 
through  the  darkness  before  his  enemies  sprang-  into 
the  tent.  His  servants  were  cut  down,  his  master  of 
the  horse  and  two  of  his  secretaries,  who  gained  their 
saddles  a  moment  later,  all  lost  their  lives,  and  but  for 
the  little  dog's  watchfulness,  William  of  Orange,  upon 
whose  shoulders  the  whole  weight  of  his  country's  for- 
tunes depended,  would  have  been  led  within  a  week  to 
an  ignominious  death.  To  his  dying  day  the  Prince  ever 
afterwards  kept  a  spaniel  of  the  same  race  in  his  bed- 
chamber.' 

"  Motley  might  also  have  added  that  in  the  Church 
at  Delft  may  be  seen  to  this  day  at  the  foot  of  the  recum- 
bent statue  of  the  great  Hollander  the  figure  in  stone  of 
that  '  little  spaniel.  '  " 

The  New  York  Press  tells  how  a  dog  saved  his 
master : 

"  John  Walker,  of  Roselle,  N.  J.,  was  doing  a  lot  of 
thinking  on  Saturday,  August  14,  1897.  He  was  face 
to  face  with  death,  and  his  dog  averted  the  blow. 

"  Walker  left  his  house  early  in  the  morning  for  a 
stroll.  His  dog  followed  him.  He  tried  to  drive  him 
back.  Then  master  and  dog  started  to  walk  along  the 
Jersey  Central  Railroad  track  to  Elizabeth. 

"  Midway  between  the  stations  Walker  met  a  heavy 
freight  train,  running  rapidly  eastward,  making 
enough  noise  to  deaden  all  other  sounds.  Walker 
stepped  to  the  west  bound  track.  His  dog,  which  had 
been  running  ahead  after  birds  or  loitering  behind  to 
make  short  and  noisy  excursions  into  the  bushes,  closed 
in  on  his  master  when  the  train  neared  him. 


Dogs  Save  Life  97 

"  Walker  was  careless.  He  never  looked  behind  him 
and  did  not  hear  or  see  the  Royal  Blue  Express. 
Brakemen  on  the  freight  train  shouted  warnings.  The 
engineer  of  the  express  train  blew  his  whistle,  with  no 
avail.  It  was  too  late  to  stop,  although  the  engineer 
was  trying  to  do  so.  Walker  plodded  on. 

"  When  the  train  was  nearly  on  top  of  Wralker  his 
dog  sprang  at  him  with  a  growl.  Walke:  turned,  saw 
the  train  and  stepped  aside  in  time  to  avoid  the  cars 
as  they  swept  past  him  with  a  roar." 

Our  Dumb  Animals  tells  how  eight  lives  were 
saved  by  a  dog: 

"  Some  years  ago  a  vessel  was  driven  on  the  beach 
of  Lydd,  in  Kent,  England.  The  sea  was  rolling  furi- 
ously. Eight  poor  fellows  were  crying  for  help;  but  a 
boat  could  not  be  got  off  through  the  storm  to  their 
assistance,  and  they  were  in  constant  peril,  for  any 
moment  the  ship  was  in  danger  of  sinking.  At  length 
a  gentleman  came  along  the  beach,  accompanied  by  his 
Newfoundland  dog.  He  directed  the  animal's  atten- 
tion to  the  vessel,  and  put  a  short  stick  in  his  mouth. 
The  intelligent  and  courageous  dog  at  once  under- 
stood his  meaning,  sprang  into  the  sea,  and  fought  his 
way  through  the  angry  waves  toward  the  vessel.  He 
could  not,  however,  get  close  enough  to  deliver  that 
with  which  he  was  charged;  but  the  crew  understood 
what  was  meant,  and  they  made  fast  a  rope  to  another 
piece  of  wood,  and  threw  it  toward  him.  The  noble 
animal  at  once  dropped  his  own  piece  of  wood,  and 
immediately  seized  that  which  had  been  thrown  to  him ; 
and  then,  with  a  degree  of  strength  and  determination 
scarcely  credible, — for  he  was  again  and  again  lost 


98         Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

under  the  waves. — he  dragged  it  through  the  surge, 
and  delivered  it  to  his  master.  A  line  of  communica- 
tion was  thus  formed  with  the  vessel,  and  every  man  on 
board  was  rescued." 

Schweizer  Tier-Borse,  a  sporting  journal  published 
at  Bern,  tells  a  wonderful  tale  of  a  caretaker  and  his 
two  dogs  who  have  spent  the  winter  together,  with 
no  other  company,  in  the  lonely  Hotel  du  Glacier,  at 
Meiden,  which  lies  about  6,000  feet  above  the  sea,  in 
the  canton  of  Valais : 

"  While  the  caretaker  was  chopping  wood  outside 
the  hotel,  with  the  dogs  as  his  companions,  the  party 
was  surprised  by  the  fall  of  a  huge  mass  of  snow.  It 
buried  the  man,  but  the  dogs  escaped.  Hereupon  the 
dogs  ran  down  the  mountain,  a  journey  of  eighteen 
kilometres,  and  betook  themselves  to  M.  Brunner,  the 
landlord,  who  resided  during  the  winter  in  the  valley. 
He  guessed  by  the  excited  yelping  and  barking  of  the 
two  unexpected  visitors  that  something  must  be  amiss 
at  his  Alpine  hotel.  Taking  three  men  with  him,  he 
at  once  ascended  to  the  hotel,  the  dogs  going  with  him. 
The  climb  upward  took  no  less  than  nine  hours.  The 
dogs  indicated,  as  plainly  as  if  they  said  it  in  so  many 
words,  the  exact  spot  where  the  accident  had  happened. 
The  imprisoned  caretaker  was  dug  out  of  the  snow  in 
an  exhausted  condition,  but  still  alive,  and  he  was  soon 
restored." 

"  Residents  of  Norwood  Park,  near  Chicago,  re- 
ported recently  that  three  boys  had  been  capsized  on 
an  improvised  raft  at  Paterson  and  Caldwell  avenues 
during  the  day  and  that  they  were  saved  from  drown- 
ing by  two  dogs,  thrown  into  the  water  with  them.  The 


Dogs  Save  Life  99 

boys  ranged  in  age  from  six  to  eight  years  and  the 
names  given  were  Walter  Hendricks,  Alfred  Jordan 
and  Edward  Carries.  They  had  gone  to  Paterson  and 
Caldwell  avenues,  where  there  is  a  deep  pond,  carry- 
ing a  large  real-estate  sign,  which  they  placed  in  the 
water.  Then  with  the  dogs  they  got  on  top  of  it. 
They  had  been  floating  on  the  water  for  several  min- 
utes when  the  raft  was  capsized  and  all  were  thrown 
into  the  icy  water.  None  were  able  to  swim,  and  al- 
though they  all  succeeded  in  getting  hold  of  the  raft, 
they  were  so  frightened  that  they  were  unable  to  push 
it  ashore. 

"  The  Skye  terrier  swam  ashore  and  ran  to  the 
house  of  Walter  Hendricks  near  by  and  attracted  the 
attention  of  members  of  the  family.  They  followed 
the  dog,  which  led  them  to  the  pond.  The  Newfound- 
land dog  was  just  dragging  young  Hendricks  ashore. 
The  other  boys  were  still  in  the  water  and  were  cling- 
ing to  the  raft.  They  were  all  taken  home. — Chicago 
Daily  News,  June,  1900." 

Book  Bits  has  the  following : 

"  It  was  a  Great  Dane,  Boy,  that  was  the  hero  of 
that  too  utterly  horrible  incident  of  the  Indian  Mutiny, 
of  which  the  victim  of  the  outrage  has  herself  been  the 
historian.  Without  going  into  all  details,  suffice  it  to 
say  she  was  pinned  with  bayonets  through  the  hands 
and  feet  to  the  ground  and  left  to  die.  During  this 
time,  she  had,  of  course,  lost  consciousness,  but  she  re- 
covered to  find  Boy  tugging  at  one  of  the  bayonets, 
which  he  eventually  pulled  up,  and  his  mistress,  with 
one  hand  freed,  then  pulled  out  the  others.  When 
the  attack  on  their  bungalow  took  place,  and  the  lady's 


ioo       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

husband  and  child  were  murdered,  Boy  was  chained 
up  in  a  distant  outhouse,  but  he  broke  loose,  tracked  his 
mistress,  and,  as  it  happened,  saved  her  life." 

Forest  and  Stream  gives  this  incident  of  several 
years  ago : 

"  An  officer  in  the  late  American  army,  on  his  sta- 
tion at  the  westward,  went  out  in  the  morning  with  his 
dog  and  gun  in  quest  of  game.  Venturing  too  far 
from  the  garrison,  he  was  fired  upon  by  an  Indian  who 
was  lurking  in  the  bushes,  and  instantly  fell  to  the 
ground.  The  Indian,  running  to  him,  struck  him  on 
the  head  with  his  tomahawk,  in  order  to  dispatch  him ; 
but  the  button  on  his  hat  fortunately  warded  off  the 
blow.  With  savage  brutality  he  applied  the  scalping 
knife  and  hastened  away  with  this  trophy  of  his  horrid 
cruelty,  leaving  the  officer  for  dead,  and  none  to  relieve 
or  console  him  but  his  faithful  dog.  The  afflicted  crea- 
ture gave  every  expression  of  his  attachment,  fidelity 
and  affection.  He  licked  the  wounds  with  inexpressi- 
ble tenderness,  and  mourned  the  fate  of  his  beloved 
master.  Having  performed  every  office  which  sym- 
pathy dictated  or  sagacity  could  invent,  without  being 
able  to  remove  his  master  from  the  fatal  spot  or  pro- 
cure from  him  any  signs  of  life  or  his  wonted  ex- 
pression of  affection  to  him,  he  ran  off  in  quest  of 
help. 

"  Bending  his  course  toward  the  river  where  two 
men  were  fishing,  he  urged  them  with  all  the  powers  of 
native  rhetoric  to  accompany  him  to  the  woods.  The 
men  were  suspicious  of  a  decoy  to  an  ambush,  and 
dared  not  venture  to  follow  the  dog.  who,  finding  all 
his  caresses  failed,  returned  to  the  care  of  his  master; 


Dogs  Save  Life  101 

and  licking  his  wounds  a  second  time  renewed  all  his 
tenderness,  but  with  no  better  success  than  he:  fore. 
Again  he  returned  to  the  men,  once  more  to  try  his 
skill  in  alluring  them  to  his  assistance.  In  this  attempt 
he  was  more  successful  than  in  the  other.  The  men 
seeing  his  solicitude,  began  to  think  the  dog  might 
have  discovered  some  valuable  game,  and  determined 
to  hazard  the  consequences  of  following  him. 

"  Transported  with  his  success,  the  affectionate  crea- 
ture hurried  them  along  by  every  expression  of  ardor. 
Presently  they  arrived  at  the  spot  where,  behold!  an 
officer  lies  wounded,  scalped,  weltering  in  his  own 
gore,  and  faint  with  loss  of  blood. 

"  Suffice  it  to  say,  he  was  yet  alive.  They  carried 
him  to  the  fort,  where  the  first  dressings  were  per- 
formed. A  suppuration  immediately  took  place  and  he 
was  soon  conveyed  to  the  hospital  at  Albany,  where  in 
a  few  weeks  he  entirely  recovered  and  was  able  to  re- 
turn to  his  duty. 

"  The  worthy  officer  owed  his  life,  probably,  to  the 
fidelity  of  this  sagacious  dog.  His  tongue,  which  the 
gentleman  afterward  declared  gave  him  the  most  ex- 
quisite pleasure,  clarified  the  wound  in  the  most 
effectual  manner,  and  his  perseverance  brought  that  as- 
sistance, without  which  he  must  soon  have  perished." 

The  Westminster  Gazette  has  this  interesting  inci- 
dent: 

"  Mr.  Robert  Macdougall,  one  of  the  meteorologists 
at  Ben  Nevis  Observatory,  had  a  most  exciting  ex- 
perience when  climbing  that  mountain  the  other  day. 
His  only  companion  in  the  ascent  was  a  collie  dog,  to 
whom  he  says  he  owes  his  life.  When  maneuvering 


102       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

on  a  snow-slide  about  1,000  feet  above  the  half-way 
station,  Mr.  Macdougall  lost  his  footing,  and  as  the 
surface  of  the  snow  was  glazed  and  hard,  he  was  soon 
being  whirled  down  a  gully  at  an  alarming  pace,  some- 
times head  foremost,  at  others  the  reverse.  It  was  at 
this  juncture' that  the  dog's  sagacity  came  in.  As  soon 
as  Mr.  Macdougall  began  to  slide  it  caught  his  coat 
with  his  teeth  and  greatly  impeded  the  downward  prog- 
ress. The  dog  ultimately  guided  him  to  a  place  of 
safety,  after  the  twain  had  slid  down  on  the  snow  for 
nearly  1,000  feet.  Strange  to  say,  neither  observer  nor 
dog  was  much  hurt,  and  the  former,  breaking  open  the 
door  of  the  half-way  hut,  lit  a  fire.  Here  he  was  found 
by  a  search-party,  half  asleep,  with  the  dog  watching 
over  him." 

The  following  incident  of  "  Dimitri  "  shows  how  a 
valuable  dog  is  taken  to  the  pound  by  policemen  and 
nearly  loses  his  life  because  he  is  homeless.  Fortunate 
those  cities  where  no  pound  is  allowed,  and  dogs  live 
to  help  their  human  friends. 

"  A  superb  Russian  greyhound,  bearing  the  name 
Dimitri  upon  its  collar,  was  the  means  of  saving  life 
recently. 

"  The  dog  was  found  wandering  about  without  its 
master  on  the  banks  of  the  Ourcq  canal  and  was  cap- 
tured by  some  policemen,  who  proceeded  to  take  it  to 
the  pound.  It  broke  from  their  keeping,  however, 
upon  reaching  the  quay  de  la  Marne  and  saved  the  lives 
of  two  persons — a  little  boy  and  a  young  man  who 
had  jumped  into  the  water  to  save  him.  The  police- 
men very  naturally  gave  their  first  attention,  says  the 
Temps,  to  the  rescued.  Then,  when  all  anxiety  as  to 


Dogs  Save  Life  103 

their  condition  was  over  they  began  to  think  of  the 
dog.  But  they  searched  in  vain  among  the  crowd  for 
the  animal.  The  brave  Dimitri,  having  probably  re- 
flected as  to  what  fate  was  in  store  for  him  when  in 
the  hands  of  the  police,  had  disappeared  without  wait- 
ing for  the  congratulations  which  were  his  due." 

"  George  Foster,  one  of  a  party  of  little  boys,  who 
was  playing  on  the  ice  on  the  Sound,  narrowly  escaped 
death  from  drowning,  through  the  instinct  of  a  pet 
Newfoundland  dog.  The  little  fellow  ventured  out 
on  the  ice  too  far  and  broke  through.  The  dog  rushed 
to  his  rescue  and  held  him  above  water  until  assistance 
came  from  the  New-Rochelle  Yacht  Club." 

"  A  belated  wayfarer  was  attracted  while  passing 
along  Ann  street  in  the  early  morning  by  the  barking 
and  whining  of  a  dog,  who  kept  running  from  one 
side  of  the  street  to  the  other.  When  the  dog  caught 
sight  of  the  wayfarer  he  grabbed  him  by  the  bottom 
of  the  trousers  and  tugged  vigorously.  Following  the 
dog  up  a  little  alley  off  Ann  street,  the  stranger  found 
a  man  lying  unconscious.  Blood  was  trickling  down 
his  head  and  his  clothes  were  completely  saturated. 

"  A  policeman  immediately  sent  for  an  ambulance, 
and,  after  the  surgeon  had  dressed  the  wound,  he  came 
to  and  was  able  to  say  that  his  name  was  Daniel  Col- 
lins of  31  Catharine  street.  He  had  ruptured  a  blood 
vessel  under  the  scalp,  and,  as  the  surgeon  stated,  he 
would  undoubtedly  have  bled  to  death  but  for  the 
timely  assistance  which  was  due  to  his  faithful  dog. 
Collins  is  an  engineer  for  the  New  York  Steam  Heat- 
ing and  Power  Company." 

"  A  fine  mastiff  named  Rover,  the  pet  of  little  John 


104       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Vonderhaar  of  East  Third  street,  Cincinnati,  saved  his 
master's  life,  but  lost  his  own  in  so  doing. 

"  The  animal,  which  was  well  known  in  the  East 
end  on  account  of  his  enormous  size  and  friendly  dis- 
position toward  children,  was  on  the  sidewalk  just  be- 
fore dark,  when  a  Fendleton  electric  car,  running  at 
high  speed,  approached  the  corner. 

"  Johnny  wras  playing  in  the  yard,  and  ran  out  into 
the  street  directly  in  front  of  the  car.  Rover  saw  the 
child's  peril,  and  with  one  bound  was  on  the  track,  his 
heavy  bulk  pushing  the  child  out  of  harm's  way. 

"  The  safety  fender  had  been  dropped  by  the  motor- 
man,  but  the  dog  was  caught  between  the  wheels. 

"  The  motorman  had  to  strike  the  animal  many  hard 
blows  across  the  head  with  an  iron  brakebar  before 
relieving  it  of  its  agony.  It  seemed  pitiful  that  no 
chloroform  could  be  obtained,  quickly.  The  boy  was 
unhurt. 

"  Rover  was  the  tallest  mastiff  at  the  recent  dog 
show.  Mr.  Vonderhaar  was  one  of  the  directors  of 
the  show,  and  had  refused  large  sums  for  his  dog." 

The  Leeds  Mercury  relates  the  following: 

"  One  of  the  most  extraordinary  incidents  of  the 
kind  on  record  occurred  to  the  Rev.  B.  Edmonston, 
grandson  of  Dr.  Edmonston,  in  his  day  the  only 
doctor  on  the  Shetland  Islands,  and  a  very  distin- 
guished naturalist.  He  went  out  fowling  in  a  boat,  his 
only  companion  being  a  collie  dog  named  Hope,  and 
when  on  the  low-lying  rocks  of  Skarta  Skerry  his  boat 
broke  away  from  its  moorings  and  drifted  off  with  the 
retreating  tide.  He  was  far  from  the  mainland,  and 
could  not  swim,  and  knew  that  when  the  tide  flowed 


Dogs  Save  Life  105 

shorewards  the  rock  would  be  covered  by  many  feet 
of  water,  and  death  by  drowning  must  ensue.  Then 
a  sudden  thought  struck  him. 

"  '  I  tore,'  he  wrote  in  his  account  of  the  incident, 
a  leaf  from  my  pocket-book,  and  wrote.  '  I  am  on  the 
Skarta  Skerry;  boat  adrift.'  Hastily,  but  securely,  I 
wrapped  my  missive  in  my  handkerchief,  which  I  tied 
firmly  to  Hope's  collar,  all  the  time  saying  to  the  in- 
telligent creature,  '  You  must  go  home  with  this,  Hope 
—home.  Now,  Hope,  you  will  be  sure  to  take  my 
message  home — and  quick.' 

"  The  dog  grasped  the  situation,  sprang  into  the 
sea,  swam  ashore,  dashed  home  at  racing  speed,  and 
the  life  of  its  master  was  saved.  This  is  a  true  and 
notable  dog  story." 

Humane  Christian  Culture,  Sept.  1899,  has  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Faithful 

GRANT. 

DIED  JULY  9,    1883. 
AGE   12  YEARS. 

The  above  is  seen  on  a  little  tombstone  in  the  yard 
of  a  farmer  in  Crown  Point,  N.  Y.  The  visitor  is 
always  desirous  to  know  who  rests  beneath  the  stone, 
and  is  soon  told  that  it  is  a  dog.  "  Only  a  dog,"  some 
will  say,  but  this  family  say  it  is  the  resting  place  of 
our  faithful  Grant  who  saved  his  master's  life.  A 
ferocious  bull  attacked  the  farmer  and  after  tossing 
the  helpless  victim  high  in  the  air,  tearing  his  flesh  and 
goring  his  body,  faithful  Grant  appeared  and  as  the 
life  of  his  master  was  to  be  crushed  out  by  one  final 


io6       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

blow,  the  brave  dog  attacked  the  bull  and  engaged  him 
in  conflict  while  ready  hands  removed  the  almost  life- 
less body. 

After  the  bull  had  been  safely  housed  this  brave  dog 
went  to  the  window  of  the  suffering  man's  room  and 
cried  like  a  child. 


GREAT  DANE,  CHAMPION  MAJOR  McKiNLEY.  First  prizes  in  many 
cities, formerly  owned  by  South  Bend  (Ind.)  Kennels.  —  2.  LITTLE 
SON  OF  GILSON  WIT.LETS  AND  CURLY,  prize  St.  Bernard. — 
3.  GLADYS  CUMMINGS  AND  HER  ENGLISH  TERRIER,  Xenia,  O. 
—  LITTLE  GIRL  AND  HER  FAITHFUL  DOG  JUMBO,  owned  by 
Mr.  W.  H.  Fedder.  Cleveland,  O. 


CHAPTER  VI 
Dogs  Guard  Their  Dead 

THE  Journal  of  Zoophily,  December,  1897,  gives 
this  pathetic  story :  "A  remarkable  incident 
in  the  Champs-Elysees  quarter  has  excited 
considerable  emotion  this  week. 

"  According  to  the  Temps,  a  report  was  in  circula- 
tion on  Wednesday  that  a  crime  had  been  committed 
in  the  residence  of  Comte  de  Beaumont,  27  Rue 
Bassano,  which  was  in  charge  of  an  aged  caretaker,  M. 
Van  Millot,  during  the  absence  of  the  owner.  M.  Van 
Millot  had  not  been  seen  by  the  neighbors  for  two  days 
previously,  and  suspicions  that  something  was  wrong 
were  aroused  by  the  fact  that  the  eight  dogs  which  he 
possessed  had  howled  all  Tuesday  night,  to  the  great 
annoyance  of  the  neighbors. 

"  The  police  commissary  of  the  quarter,  on  being 
informed  of  the  circumstances,  went  to  the  house  with 
his  secretary  and  a  physician.  There  being  no  reply 
to  a  prolonged  ringing  at  the  bell,  the  magistrate  sent 
for  a  locksmith  and  forced  the  great  doors.  The 
magistrate  then  went  to  the  room  occupied  by  M.  Van 
Millot,  over  the  stables. 

"  His  arrival  was  the  signal  for  a  tremendous  out- 
burst of  barking  from  the  old  gentleman's  bedroom. 
The  magistrate  cautiously  opened  the  door  a  few 
inches  and  was  able  to  see  the  body  of  the  aged  servitor 

107 


io8       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

lying  on  the  ground,  while  around  it  were  grouped  the 
eight  dogs  '  keeping  watch  and  ward.'  Any  attempt  to 
enter  the  room  brought  upon  the  intruder  the  entire 
pack. 

"  The  only  way  of  dealing  with  them  was  by  strat- 
agem. Food  was  brought  in,  and  some  of  the  dogs 
were  seduced  from  their  self-imposed  watch;  others, 
however,  resisted  all  temptations,  and  had  to  be  caught 
by  means  of  rugs  thrown  over  them.  During  the 
whole  time,  however,  they  displayed  the  most  touch- 
ing demonstration  of  affection  for  their  dead  master, 
licking  his  face  and  hands  in  the  intervals  between  their 
assaults  on  would-be  intruders. 

"  As  soon  as  the  dogs  had  been  got  out  of  the  way, 
an  examination  was  made  of  the  body,  and  it  was  found 
that  the  poor  old  caretaker  had  succumbed  to  an  attack 
of  apoplexy. 

"  When  the  body  was  placed  on  the  bed,  the  eight 
dogs,  set  free,  resumed  their  guard,  pending  the  arrival 
of  the  old  man's  family,  who  had  been  sent  for." 

When  General  Madison  Miller,  aged  87,  a  retired 
army  officer,  was  found  dead  from  apoplexy  in  his 
bath  room  in  St.  Louis,  February  27,  his  faithful  dog 
was  keeping  watch  over  his  body. 

Mrs.  Anna  Burger  disappeared  from  her  home  in 
Erie,  Pa.,  and  her  body  was  found  April  25,  in  a 
wooded  ravine  by  some  boys  who  were  gathering 
spring  flowers.  She  had  been  foully  murdered.  Be- 
side her  body  lay  her  little  dog,  her  daily  companion, 
so  enfeebled  by  hunger  that  it  could  not  walk,  but  it 
barked  and  fought  those  who  came  to  take  the  body. 

Mrs.  Christian  Kerschner  of  Magnolia,  Maryland, 


Dogs  Guard  Their  Dead  109 

was  gored  to  death  by  a  cow  in  September,  1898.  A 
dog  guarded  her  body  so  faithfully  that  it  had  to  be 
killed  before  the  dead  woman  could  be  carried  to  her 
house. 

A  man  from  East  Toledo,  Ohio,  was  shot  to  death  in 
April,  1899,  by  farmers  whose  chickens  he  had  stolen. 
He  escaped,  but  a  mile  further  on  he  fell  from  his 
wagon,  dead  from  his  injuries.  The  coroner  was  sum- 
moned, but  neither  he  nor  any  one  else  could  approach 
the  body  until  the  faithful  dog  had  been  shot.  He 
fought  every  one  who  cams  near  to  touch  his  dead 
master.  Whether  honest  or  dishonest,  he  loved  him, 
and  died  to  defend  him. 

"  A  touching  example  of  a  dog's  devotion  to  its 
master  was  seen  in  Salem,  Mass.,  recently.  John 
Gynan,  a  bachelor,  committed  suicide  by  hanging. 
The  police  were  notified,  and  came  to  remove  the  body. 
An  immense  Newfoundland  dog,  the  only  companion 
of  the  suicide,  was  on  guard,  lying  beneath  the  body 
and  trying  to  revive  his  master  by  licking  his  shoes. 
While  the  policemen  were  cutting  the  dead  man  down 
the  dog  stood  by  with  his  eyes  riveted  on  his  master's 
face,  but  the  moment  they  tried  to  remove  the  body  he 
became  ferocious.  He  bit  the  men  until  they  were  glad 
to  beat  a  retreat.  Then  he  caressed  the  dead  man's 
face,  whining  piteously  the  while. 
"The  police  tried  to  coax  him  away,  but  he  showed  his 
teeth  every  time  they  approached,  and  his  savage  growl 
warned  them  to  keep  their  distance.  The  blockade 
continued  for  over  an  hour.  Then  one  policeman  fired 
two  shots  at  the  faithful  brute.  The  dog  plunged  down 
the  stairs  to  the  door,  and  again  blocked  the  way. 


no       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

snapping  at  all  who  approached.  He  became  so  rabid 
that  it  was  necessary  to  kill  him.  Fourteen  bullets 
were  fired  at  close  range  before  he  fell  dead.  Then  the 
dead  body  of  the  master  was  carried  over  the  inanimate 
form  of  the  pet  dog." — Philadelphia  Times. 

In  December,  1898,  Henry  Pierce,  a  cigarmaker, 
sixty-nine  years  old,  was  found  dead  in  his  little  cabin 
in  East  New  York.  Three  years  before,  his  wife  had 
died,  and  since  that  time  he  had  lived  with  his  four  mon- 
grel dogs  and  a  black  cat.  They  were  his  devoted  pets, 
and  he  needed  no  other  companions.  Neighbors  passing 
the  house  had  seen  no  signs  of  life  about  the  place  for 
three  days,  and  reported  it  to  the  police.  The  door 
was  broken  in,  and  the  old  man  was  found  dead,  sitting 
upright  in  his  rocking  chair.  His  black  cat,  too  weak 
from  hunger  to  move,  lay  at  his  feet,  while  the  four 
dogs  whined  piteously,  but  would  allow  no  one  to 
touch  the  body. 

The  policeman,  wiser  and  more  humane  than  most 
persons,  instead  of  killing  the  four  faithful  creatures, 
went  to  a  neighboring  meat  market,  purchased  some 
meat  and  brought  it  to  the  famishing  dogs.  While  they 
were  eagerly  devouring  it,  the  body  was  removed  to  an 
undertaking  establishment. 

James  Dayton,  seventy  years  old,  caretaker  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  Borax  Company's  property  at  Furnace 
Creek,  Death  Valley,  in  the  southern  part  of  Califor- 
nia, started  from  his  home  for  Daggett,  July  24,  1899. 
He  had  six  mules,  harnessed  to  a  wagon  loaded  with 
hay  and  water,  with  his  dog  for  company,  as  he  crossed 
the  desert.  Just  one  month  afterwards,  August  24,  he 
was  found  by  a  searching  party  dead,  either  from  the 


Dogs  Guard  Their  Dead  1 1 1 

intense  heat  or  illness.  Fifty  feet  away  from  his  body 
were  the  six  mules,  four  hitched  to  the  wagon  and  two 
tied  behind,  dead  from  starvation  and  thirst,  though 
the  wagon  was  filled  with  hay  and  water.  They  had 
struggled  desperately  to  free  themselves.  The  only 
living  thing  in  the  heart-breaking  scene  was  Dayton's 
faithful  dog,  who  for  twenty  days  and  nights  had 
watched  by  the  side  of  his  dead  master.  He  had  kept 
alive,  probably,  by  getting  water  from  an  abandoned 
borax  camp  a  half  mile  distant. 

The  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer,  October  25,  1899,  gives 
this  account  of  a  Montana  blizzard,  and  the  faithful 
dogs  of  the  dead  shepherds : 

"  Great  Falls,  Mont. — As  a  result  of  the  recent  bliz- 
zard which  swept  through  Teton  county  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  this  state,  nine  men  are  known  to  be  dead, 
and  of  these,  five  bodies  have  been  recovered. 

"  With  one  exception  all  were  sheep  herders,  and 
all  were  found  lying  in  such  positions  as  to  indicate 
that  they  had  stayed  with  their  flocks  to  the  last,  dying 
in  their  attempts  to  save  the  property  of  their 
employers. 

"  William  Graham,  working  for  the  Cascade  Land 
Company,  was  found  in  a  coulee  near  Healy  Butte.  It 
is  evident  that  he  had  tried  hard  through  the  night 
to  get  the  sheep  into  camp  but  had  not  succeeded.  Con- 
scious of  the  death  which  was  impending,  he  returned 
to  his  tent  about  midnight  and  there  wrote  and  left  a 
note  saying  he  was  nearly  exhausted  but  was  about  to 
return  to  the  sheep  which  were  drifting  up  the  coulee. 
He  was  found  stretched  on  the  snow,  his  lantern  about 
twenty  feet  distant.  Of  his  two  dogs  one  remained 


112       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

to  guard  the  body,  while  the  other  followed  the 
sheep. 

"  Norman  Bruce  worked  for  Will  Flowree.  He  re- 
mained with  his  sheep  until  he  managed  to  drive  them 
into  a  sheltered  spot,  where  they  would  be  safe. 
Blinded  by  the  storm,  he  mistook  the  coulee  where  the 
cabin  was  built  and  wandered  up  another.  Realizing  his 
mistake  too  late,  he  turned  back  and  fell  less  than  200 
yards  from  his  home  and  safety.  The  searching  party 
found  his  dog  stretched  across  the  dead  body. 

"  Matt  Gregorich  was  found  with  his  arms  crossed 
upon  his  breast.  His  dog  had  followed  the  sheep  into 
camp  and  returned  with  the  rescue  party  too  late. 

"  H.  Herald,  working  for  C.  R.  Scofin,  was  lying 
in  the  deep  snow,  his  beard  eaten  off  by  the  sheep, 
which  had  also  eaten  his  clothes  and  part  of  his  boots. 

"  It  is  probable  that  the  death  list  is  hardly  begun. 
Flocks  of  sheep  without  herders  have  been  reported 
from  various  points  in  the  storm  district  and  later  these 
will  be  traced  and  the  dead  herders  found. 

"  Now  the  snow  covers  up  everything  on  the  prairie, 
and  the  coulees,  many  of  them  more  than  100  feet 
deep  and  with  steep  sides,  are  filled  with  it.  This  was 
the  most  severe  and  most  fatal  October  storm  ever 
occurring  in  Montana." 

The  Portland  Oregonian  tells  of  a  herder  who  cared 
for  the  sheep  of  A.  M.  Holter  of  Helena,  Montana. 
Two  feet  of  snow  covered  the  range,  and  the  ther- 
mometer was  forty  degrees  below  zero.  "  The  herder 
was  frozen  to  death  on  the  prairies  while,  caring  for  the 
sheep,  and  it  was  three  days  before  his  fate  was  known 
to  his  employers.  Two  shepherd  dogs  were  with  him 


Dogs  Guard  Their  Dead  113 

when  he  died,  and  one  of  these  stayed  with  his  body 
while  the  other  attended  to  the  sheep,  just  as  though 
the  herder  had  been  with  him.  The  dog  drove  them 
out  on  the  range  in  the  morning  and  back  again  at 
night,  guarding  them  from  wolves  and  preventing 
them  straying  off.  Neither  dog  had  anything  to  eat 
during  the  three  days'  vigil,  so  far  as  could  be  ascer- 
tained; but  the  2,500  head  of  sheep  thrived  as  well,  ap- 
parently, as  though  directed  by  human  agency." 

"  At  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Anghrim,"  says 
Sagacity  of  Animals,  "  an  Irish  officer  was  accom- 
panied by  his  wolf-hound.  This  gentleman  was  killed, 
and  his  body  stripped  on  the  battlefield,  but  the  clog 
remained  by  it  both  by  day  and  by  night.  He  fed  upon 
some  of  the  other  bodies  with  the  rest  of  the  dogs,  yet 
he  would  not  allow  them,  or  any  one  else  to  come  near 
that  of  his  master.  When  all  the  other  bodies  were 
consumed,  the  other  dogs  departed,  but  this  faithful 
creature  used  to  go  in  the  night  to  the  adjacent  villages 
for  food,  and  in  the  morning  to  return  to  the  place 
where  his  master's  bones  only  were  left.  This  he  con- 
tinued to  do  from  July,  when  the  battle  was  fought, 
through  the  cold  and  dreary  winter,  until  the  January 
following,  when  a  soldier  whose  regiment  was  quar- 
tered near  that  spot,  going  that  way  by  chance,  fearing 
he  came  to  disturb  his  beloved  master's  bones,  flew 
with  great  fierceness  upon  the  soldier,  who,  being 
thrown  off  his  guard  by  the  suddenness  of  the  attack, 
unslung  his  carbine,  he  having  been  thrown  on  his  back, 
and  killed  the  noble  animal." 

The  Journal  of  Zoophily,  Philadelphia,  April,  1900, 
has  the  following: 


U4       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  A  touching  incident  of  a  dog's  devotion  to  his  mis- 
tress occurred  a  few  weeks  ago.  A  poor  old  woman 
named  MacDonald  lived  at  425  Lombard  street  en- 
tirely alone,  save  for  a  large  dog  of  the  collie  type  that 
seemed  to  be  always  with  her.  One  morning  the 
people  in  the  vicinity  saw  the  woman  sitting  on  the 
steps  of  her  humble  dwelling  with  the  dog,  as  usual, 
at  her  side.  They  would  have  taken  little  notice,  sup 
posing,  as  the  weather  was  mild,  that  she  was  tired 
and  was  resting  herself,  had  they  not  observed  the  dog 
lick  the  hands  and  face  of  his  mistress  and  then  howl 
in  a  mournful  manner.  Suspecting  something  wrong, 
they  went  up  to  the  old  woman,  which  was  done  with 
some  difficulty,  as  the  dog  resented  their  approach,  and 
found  she  was  dead.  When  about  to  carry  her  body 
away,  the  dog  attacked  them,  and  could  with  difficulty 
be  pacified.  The  funeral  took  place  and  the  poor 
animal,  driven  from  the  room  which  he  had  occupied 
with  his  mistress,  was  most  desolate.  A  lady  sent 
word  to  our  society  that  she  would  take  him  and  give 
him  a  home  if  we  could  gain  possession  of  him,  and 
others,  we  understood,  had  also  expressed  a  desire  to 
have  him,  but  he  was  not  fitted  to  live  with  any  one  in 
this  world.  We  succeeded  in  getting  him  and  taking 
him  to  our  pound,  but  he  entirely  refused  to  make 
friends  with  any  one.  He  could  not  be  induced  either 
to  eat  or  drink,  and  thinking  at  last  that  the  kindest 
course  was  to  end  his  miserable  existence,  our  superin- 
tendent put  him  to  death  with  chloroform.  '  Hath 
any  man  greater  love  than  this  ?  '  " 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Davis  of  New  Bridge,  New  Jersey, 
was  found  dead  in  her  bed  March  8,  1901,  her  pet  bull 


Dogs  Guard  Their  Dead  115 

dog  guarding  her  body.  He  refused  to  let  a  doctor 
examine  her,  but  was  finally  coaxed  away  from  her 
side. 

Patrick  Walsh,  an  aged  farmer  of  North  Pelham, 
Westchester  county,  New  York,  was  gored  to  death  by 
his  bull  on  July  12,  1900.  Rover,  his  dog,  went  with 
him  to  the  pasture,  and  when  he  saw  the  bull  spring 
upon  his  master,  he  jumped  upon  the  animal's  back  and 
bit  his  neck  with  all  his  might.  After  the  body  of  Mr. 
Walsh  was  brought  home,  Rover  could  not  be  induced 
to  enter  the  house,  but  came  to  the  gate  and  whined, 
and  then  returned  to  the  pasture  where  his  friend  was 
killed. 


CHAPTER  VII 
Gratitude  of  Dogs 

A  DOG  was  howling  dismally,  crouched  in  the 
corner  of  a  doorway.     He  was  a  little  dog — 
an    outcast — a    Bohemian    in    the    snarling 
world  of  Caninedom,  says  the  Philadelphia  Press. 

Two  men  with  big  coats  close  buttoned  to  the  neck 
stopped  and  looked  at  the  dog. 

"  It's  a  sure  sign  of  death,"  said  one  man,  "  when  a 
dog  howls  at  night." 

"  A  sure  sign  of  death  of  that  dog,"  answered  the 
other.  "  The  poor  little  fellow  is  freezing  to  death.'' 

"  Nonsense,"  retorted  the  first  man — "  that  dog's 
got  a  fit." 

"  Yes,  an  ague  fit,"  responded  the  other.  "  You'd 
shake  just  as  much  as  he  does  if  you  were  in  his  posi- 
tion." 

"  Well,  let  him  shake — hurry  up,  Phil,  or  we'll  be 
late  for  the  smoker  " — and  the  first  man  moved  off. 

"  I'm  going  to  thaw  this  dog  out,"  said  his  friend, 
and  he  made  a  move  toward  the  shivering  animal. 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,"  said  his  companion  angrily,  at 
the  same  time  tugging  at  his  coat.  "  Come  on,  old 
fellow." 

But  the  man  named  Phil  broke  away  and  went  up  to 
the  dog.  He  held  out  his  hand  coaxingly,  and  said 
gently :  "  Come  here,  Jack." 

ix6 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  1 1 7 

The  dog  stopped  howling.  He  tried  to  wag  his 
poor  stump  of  a  frozen  tail,  but  the  effort  was  un- 
availing. Then,  with  a  little  whimper,  he  permitted 
the  man  to  pick  him  up.  And  then  the  man  un- 
buttoned two  buttons  of  his  huge  coat  and  tucked  the 
dog  in. 

"  And  now  that  you  have  the  dog,"  sneered  his  com- 
panion, "  what  do  you  propose  to  do  with  him?  " 

"  Take  him  to  a  little  joint  down  the  street  here 
and  get  him  a  chunk  of  meat,"  responded  the  other 
man  cheerfully. 

"  Well,  I'm  going  to  the  smoker,"  said  the  first 
man  testily.  "  I  suppose  you'll  be  along  later  when 
you've  done  the  good  Samaritan  act.  Hope  you  don't 
pick  up  a  stray  cat  in  your  journey — you'd  have  an 
awful  time  with  one  frozen  dog  and  one  frozen  cat 
on  each  side  of  that  coat  of  yours." 

The  other  man  laughed :  "  I  believe  in  transmigra- 
tion of  souls,  Ralph.  This  dog  might  be  my  great- 
grandfather born  again,  so  I'm  going  to  take  care  of 
him." 

"  There  never  were  any  dogs  in  our  family,"  sarcas- 
tically rejoined  his  friend.  "  See  you  later,  Phil ;  it's 
too  blamed  cold  to  stay  around  corners."  And  up  the 
street  he  went. 

The  man  with  the  dog  under  his  coat  walked  down 
the  street.  He  went  into  a  restaurant  where  table- 
cloths were  unknown  and  sawdust  covered  the  floor  in 
lieu  of  carpet.  "  What  do  you  ask  for  a  plain  steak  ?  " 
he  asked  the  proprietor. 

"  Fifteen  cents,"  answered  the  restaurant  keeper. 

"  Give  me  one — raw,  please.     I   want   it   for  this 


1 1 8       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

dog,"  and  the  young  fellow  took  the  half-frozen  ani- 
mal from  his  coat. 

The  meat  was  brought  and  put  on  a  plate  near  a 
huge  stove.  The  dog  needed  no  second  invitation. 

"  Pretty  cold  outdoors,"  said  the  proprietor  by  way 
of  being  pleasant. 

"  Very,"  answered  the  young  fellow. 

"  That's  a  good-looking  dog  you  have,"  went  on  the 
proprietor.  "  Like  to  sell  him  ?  I  want  a  dog  around 
the  place." 

The  young  fellow  went  over  to  the  dog  and  patted 
his  head.  "  I'll  give  him  to  you  if  you  promise  to  care 
for  him  right.  He's  been  in  the  family  for  some  time, 
but  I'm  going  traveling,  and  I'd  be  glad  to  give  him  to 
some  one  who'd  care  for  him  decently." 

"  I'll  take  him  in  a  minute,"  responded  the  restau- 
rant keeper  quickly. 

"  All  right,  he's  yours,"  responded  the  young  fellow. 
Again  he  bent  over  and  patted  the  dog's  head.  "  Good- 
bye, old  fellow,"  he  said,  and  walked  toward  the  door. 

The  dog  looked  at  the  fire — at  the  meat — at  the  man 
who  was  going  streetward.  Then  he  left  food  and  fire 
and  trotted  after  his  benefactor. 

As  the  man  reached  the  door  the  dog  brushed  against 
him.  He  turned  with  a  smile  and  again  patted  the 
dog's  head.  Then  he  opened  the  door  and  went  out  into 
the  cold. 

The  little  dog  rose  on  his  hind  feet  and  peered  out 
through  the  frosted  panes.  He  whined  once  or  twice. 
Then  he  went  back  to  the  fire. 

The  restaurant  keeper  looked  over  his  evening  paper 
at  the  little  dog.  "  He's  a  bright-looking  dog,"  he 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  1 1 9 

said.  "  Pretty  decent  and  kind  in  that  young  fellow  to 
give  him  to  me." 

And  then  the  restless  little  dog  got  up  from  the  fire 
and  going  over  to  the  door  again,  looked  out  through 
the  panes  and  whined. 

"  He  misses  him,"  said  the  restaurant  keeper.  Then 
he  stirred  the  fire,  for  'twas  cold  outdoors. 

James  De  Baun,  in  Pets  and  Animals  for  July- 
August,  1899,  has  this  interesting  story  of  Jetty : 

"  The  morning  was  hot.  I  settled  myself  on  the 
lawn  with  my  newspapers  and  was  half  through  a  very 
interesting  article,  when  I  was  interrupted  by  a  sound 
between  a  bark  and  a  whine.  Lowering  my  paper,  I 
saw  a  medium-sized,  long-haired,  shiny-coated  black 
dog  gazing  at  me  with  appealing  brown  eyes.  She  was 
of  no  particular  breed,  but  well-conditioned,  and  think- 
ing she  was  asking  for  food,  I  said  quite  sternly,  '  Go 
along  home,  I  don't  want  to  bother  with  you.'  She 
lowered  her  ears  and  slunk  away  and  I  turned  to  my 
reading,  but  after  a  few  minutes  heard  a  piteous  whine 
and  felt  a  pull  at  my  coat  tail,  which  had  fallen  through 
a  slat  in  the  lawn  settee,  and  looking  over  my  shoul- 
der encountered  those  same  brown  eyes  raised  in  mute 
appeal. 

"  I  laid  down  my  papers,  and  rising,  said  a  little  im- 
patiently, '  Now,  you  little  black  beggar,  show  me 
what  you  want.'  She  uttered  a  glad  bark  and  started 
across  the  lawn,  looking  back  every  few  steps  to  see 
if  I  was  following,  and  I  saw  at  once  her  trouble  had 
something  to  do  with  her  puppies,  for  her  teats  were 
so  painfully  distended  she  could  hardly  walk. 

"  Well,  that  little  creature  led  me  across  two  streets 


I2O       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  an  avenue  to  a  private  alley  back  of  a  flat  build- 
ing, where  she  stopped  before  one  of  the  galvanized 
iron  rubbish  receptacles  and  again  looked  into  my  face 
with  those  appealing  eyes. 

"  The  box  was  tightly  closed  and  I  hardly  had  time 
to  open  it  before  that  little  mother  was  in  and  nestling 
down  to  four  tiny  black  objects  lying  in  one  corner  on 
some  papers.  Two  of  them  were  dead  and  she  looked  at 
me  with  a  glare  of  sadness,  but  made  no  protest,  as  I  re- 
moved them;  the  others  were  still  warm,  and  opening 
their  helpless  mouths,  I  placed  a  teat  in  each  while  she 
soothed  and  wanned  them  with  her  tongue  until  they 
found  out  they  were  alive,  and  took  hold  voraciously. 

"  I  propped  up  the  box  cover  and  sought  the  jani- 
tor, telling  him  I  would  see  the  little  family  removed  a 
few  days  later.  He  followed  me  to  the  alley  and  said 
as  he  looked  into  the  box :  '  Why,  that's  Jetty,  she's 
bin  whinin'  'round  here  since  the  folks  in  No.  12  went 
into  the  country,  an'  I  couldn't  tell  what  ailed  the  little 
critter ;  she  belongs  down  on  Wells  street,  and  I  reckon 
the  children  pestered  her  so  she  brought  her  puppies 
up  here.' 

"  For  a  week  1  carried  food  and  water  to  Jetty,  as 
she  could  not  be  induced  to  leave  that  box,  and  one 
morning  they  were  gone;  the  janitor  said  the  children 
had  taken  them  home. 

"  Jetty  brought  her  babies  to  see  me  once  after  that 
and  they  had  a  grand  frolic  on  the  lawn,  and  to  this 
day  she  never  meets  me  without  exhibiting  every  sign 
of  gratitude  in  her  power." 

My  sister's  husband,  Mr.  Halsey  D.  Miller,  saw  on 
the  streets  of  Cleveland  a  homeless  and  disconsolate 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  121 

looking  creature,  one  day  in  the  autumn  of  1899.  She 
was  going  down  the  steps  of  a  restaurant  for  food, 
and  some  one  kicked  her  back.  She  ran,  dazed,  in 
front  of  a  street  car,  and  lay  on  the  track  till  within 
an  inch  of  being  killed.  He  went  up  to  her,  and  she 
looked  amazed  at  a  kind  word.  He  took  a  cord  from 
his  pocket,  tied  it  around  her  neck  and  led  her  to  a  livery 
stable  to  wait  till  he  could  take  her  on  the  street  cars, 
six  miles  to  his  home  at  night,  giving  her  meantime 
three  sandwiches  which  she  ate  with  avidity.  She  was 
very  dirty,  her  long  hair  matted  with  blood,  where  it 
seemed  as  though  car  wheels  or  wagon  wheels  had 
taken  off  skin  and  flesh. 

The  next  morning  after  she  reached  his  home,  she 
fell  over  when  she  attempted  to  stand.  Seeming  to  be 
a  gentle  and  affectionate  dog,  and  homeless,  her  condi- 
tion appealed  to  any  kind  heart.  A  veterinary  doctor 
was  sent  for,  that  she  might  be  saved  if  possible.  He 
said  she  was  near  death  from  starvation,  but  by  the 
best  of  care  she  might  live.  She  had  become  diseased 
by  mange  from  long  exposure,  had  been  injured,  and 
must  be  fed  very  sparingly  at  first,  as  she  had  been 
without  much  food  for  weeks  and  probably  months. 

When  a  trifle  stronger  she  was  washed,  and  her 
color,  almost  black  before,  proved  to  be  a  bright  yellow 
and  white.  The  wounds  healed,  and  some  months  after- 
wards she  became  one  of  the  most  beautiful  collies  I  ever 
saw.  Her  intelligence  was  surprising,  and  her  grati- 
tude like  that  of  a  human  being.  She  knew  when  her 
adopted  master  would  come  home  from  business,  and 
always  waited  for  him  at  the  front  door.  She  made 
friends  with  the  cats,  and  loved  children  as  though 


122       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

she  were  a  child  with  them.  Whenever  she  saw  a 
little  girl  she  would  whine  and  cry,  as  though  some- 
time before  she  was  lost,  she  had  been  petted  and 
caressed  by  some  child. 

When  her  master  read,  she  put  her  white  paws  on 
his  shoulder  and  looked  over  the  pages  of  book  or 
paper.  She  played  and  romped  as  though  she  had 
never  known  a  day's  sorrow.  Money  could  not  buy 
now  the  pet  and  pride  of  the  household.  But  for  the 
timely  succor  of  a  friendly  hand  this  beautiful  and  very 
valuable  dog  would  have  died  of  want  in  a  city  filled 
with  plenty.  Hundreds  passed  her  by  with  indiffer- 
ence, or  a  harsh  word  or  kick.  They  went  to  their 
dinner,  but  gave  nothing  to  a  homeless  dog  along  the 
street.  Women,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  with  their 
tender  hearts,  paid  no  attention  to  a  famished  dog, 
while  they  bought  pretty  dresses  and  hats,  and  had 
enough  and  to  spare. 

The  great-hearted  Eugene  Field  said :  "  If  I  had 
my  way,  I  would  make  the  abuse  of  horses,  dogs  and 
cattle  a  penal  offense;  /  would  abolish  all  dog  laws 
and  dog  catchers,  and  I  would  punish  severely  every- 
body who  caught  and  caged  birds." 

And  yet  in  a  Christian  city  we  let  poor  dumb  things 
starve,  or  be  abused  or  killed,  and  pass  on,  apparently 
with  our  eyes  closed;  certainly  our  hearts  closed  to  all 
compassion. 

The  New  York  Tribune  tells  how  a  supposedly 
"  mad  dog  "  nestled  close  to  the  woman  who  saved  it : 

"  Just  as  the  theatres  were  out  yesterday  afternoon, 
a  large  fox  terrier  dashed  across  Broadway  in  front 
of  the  Herald  Square  Theatre.  The  dog  turned  in  its 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  123 

tracks  and  began  to  run  around  in  a  circle,  yelping 
piteously.  Peculiar  actions  of  a  dog  are  likely  to  be 
misunderstood  by  ninety-nine  people  out  of  a  hun- 
dred, in  hot  weather,  and  the  fact  that  this  particular 
dog  rushed  around  in  circles  at  once  gave  rise  to  the 
belief  that  the  animal  was  mad. 

"  Leaving  the  neighborhood  of  the  theatre  the  dog 
raced  backward  and  forward  and  across  Broadway 
from  Thirty-fifth  to  Thirty-third  street,  and  finally 
the  men  and  boys  who  congregate  at  Greeley  Square 
started  in  pursuit,  crying  '  Mad  dog.'  This  was  suffi- 
cient to  make  every  one  who  saw  the  animal  believe 
he  was  really  mad,  and  men  and  women  scattered  in  a 
fright. 

"  When  the  excitement  was  at  its  height,  after  a 
number  of  women  had  run  into  stores  to  get  out  of  the 
way,  the  supposed  mad  dog  rushed  around  under  the 
elevated  tracks  at  Thirty-third  street  and  Broadway. 
At  this  moment  a  tall,  well-dressed  woman,  who  was 
coming  down  Broadway,  stopped  and  looked  at  the 
scurrying  pedestrians  and  then  at  the  dog.  It  darted 
across  the  street  toward  the  place  where  the  woman 
was  standing,  and  as  it  reached  the  sidewalk  she  calmly 
stooped  down  quickly  and  seized  it  by  *  -~f  back  of  the 
neck  and  carried  the  now  whining  animal  to  the  up- 
town elevated  railroad  station  stairs. 

"  Those  who  had  fled  from  the  dog  stared  at  the 
woman  in  amazement.  All  unconcerned,  however,  she 
began  to  pat  the  head  of  the  terrier  and  speak  to  it 
affectionately.  The  spectacle  of  a  woman  fondling  a 
mad  dog  was  such  an  extraordinary  one  that  several 
hundred  persons  quickly  gathered.  They  attracted 


124       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Policeman  Hauser  of  the  West  Thirtieth  street  station, 
who  pushed  his  way  through  them  and  saw  the  woman 
still  placidly  caressing  the  dog. 

"  '  Everybody  seems  to  think  this  dog  is  mad/  she 
said  with  a  laugh,  '  but  I  know  all  about  dogs.  I  know 
from  his  cries  that  he  has  evidently  lost  his  master.  No 
mad  dog  ever  races  around  in  one  spot  the  way  I  saw 
him  do.' 

"  By  this  time  the  terrier  had  quieted  down  and  was 
nestling  close  to  its  new-found  friend.  Policeman 
Hauser  made  an  investigation,  and  found  the  woman's 
theory  of  the  cause  of  the  dog's  antics  correct.  The 
dog  and  his  master  had  been  separated  when  his  owner 
boarded  a  car. 

"  '  The  owner  of  this  dog  can  have  him  by  calling 
at  my  residence,'  she  said.  '  I  have  seen  so  many  dogs 
killed  in  summer  time  without  just  cause  that  I  don't 
consider  it  any  particular  honor  to  have  saved  this 
terrier  from  a  similar  fate.  When  you  get  to  know 
dogs  3'ou  learn  that  really  very  few  go  mad,  but  are 
goaded  into  a  condition  of  hysteria  by  the  behavior 
of  a  lot  of  senseless  people  who  would  usually  drive 
any  human  being  crazy.' ' 

The  Dog  Fancier,  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  has  this 
account  of  a  supposed  mad  dog: 

"  I  had  an  experience  last  summer  that  I  never 
shall  forget.  One  burning  hot  September  day  I  drove 
into  a  farmer's  barn-yard  and  stopped  under  a  shade 
tree  to  let  my  horse  rest.  The  door  at  the  house  opened 

and  Mr.  B stepped  out  with  a  shot  gun. 

'  Hello,  John !    Are  you  going  hunting  ?  '  I  asked. 

"  '  No ;  our  dog  is  mad/ 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  1 25 

"'Where  is  the  dog?' 

"  '  Down  by  the  corn  crib.' 

"  I  stepped  out  of  my  buggy  and  started  with  him 
for  the  crib,  which  was  located  about  twenty  feet  from 
a  small  barn.  There  was  the  poor  dumb  brute,  with 
a  heavy  leather  strap  around  his  neck  and  tied  with  a 
rope  to  a  ring  on  a  wire  running  from  the  corner  of 
the  crib  to  the  barn.  When  we  got  in  sight  of  the  dog 
he  began  to  jump  and  tear  at  the  rope. 

"  '  What  is  the  dog's  name  ?  '  I  asked. 

"  '  Watch.' 

"  I  started  to  go  to  the  dog  and  John  caught  me  by 
the  arm.  '  Don't  go  near  him,  he  .will  bite  you ! ' 

"  '  How  long  has  the  dog  been  tied  there  ?  ' 

"  '  We  went  away  yesterday  morning  to  thrash  for 
Wilson  and  we  left  Watch  here  to  guard  the  corn 
crib/ 

"  There  was  the  poor  dog,  left  for  thirty-six  hours  in 
the  burning  sun  without  a  drop  of  water,  to  guard  a 
crib  of  fifteen-cent  corn.  I  walked  up  to  the  dog  and 
cut  the  rope  and  led  him  to  the  well.  I  pumped  some 
water  in  a  cup  and  gave  him  a  small  quantity  to  drink. 
The  dog  did  not  offer  to  bite  me.  He  was  too  glad  to 
get  away  from  such  a  place. 

"  John  did  not  speak  for  some  time,  but  finally  said, 
'  I  never  thought  of  giving  him  water.  I  will  never 
tie  that  dog  again.' ' 

Mrs.  B.  T.  Harper,  of  Southbridge,  Mass.,  writes 
to  Our  Dumb  Animals,  August,  1899 : 

"  That  the  '  mad  dog '  scare  is  most  always  a  news- 
paper phantom  has  often  been  proved,  and  yet  every 
year,  when  once  that  cry  is  abroad,  hundreds  of  people 


1 26       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

become  frenzied  with  terror,  children  are  made  hys- 
terical by  the  sight  of  a  dog,  and  hundreds  of  useful 
dogs  are  sacrificed  to  this  superstition. 

"  Several  years  ago  my  own  little  girl  was  brought 
to  me  one  day,  crying,  and  her  clothes  hanging  from 
her  in  rags.  An  excited  crowd  followed  and  informed 
me  amid  shrieks  that  the  child  had  been  bitten  by  a 
mad  dog.  On  learning  that  it  was  the  big  St.  Bernard, 
the  pet  and  pride  of  the  whole  village,  that  had  dealt 
with  my  child  thus,  I  doubted  very  much  its  being  a 
case  of  hydrophobia  and  pleaded  for  the  dog's  life  at 
least  until  the  case  could  be  investigated. 

"  Surely  enough,  the  wound  on  the  back  of  my  child 
showed  the  imprint  of  large  teeth  and  of  a  monstrous 
mouth,  and  the  skin  was  broken  and  bleeding  in  sev- 
eral places.  Not  believing  in  the  '  mad  dog  tradition  ' 
I  simply  washed  the  wound  and  dressed  it  with  car- 
bolic salve,  and  the  child  now  resting  quietly,  I  went 
to  investigate  the  case. 

"  The  dog  had  been  romping  and  playing  with  a 
group  of  boys  on  their  way  from  school,  as  was  his 
custom.  Then  springing  upon  one  of  them,  threw  to 
the  ground  the  little  five-year-old  child  which  hap- 
pened to  pass  just  then.  The  child,  overwhelmed  with 
terror,  of  course,  lay  prostrate  on  the  ground,  and  the 
dog,  realizing  what  he  had  done,  seemed  to  have  made 
an  effort  in  true  St.  Bernard  fashion,  to  repair  the 
damage  and  to  put  the  child  on  her  feet  again.  That 
he  proceeded  rather  roughly  and  awkwardly,  the  marks 
on  the  child's  back  and  her  torn  clothes  gave  evidence. 
The  wound  healed  as  readily  and  speedily  as  a  cut 
finger.  The  dog,  who  was  closely  watched  for  several 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  1 27 

days,  showed  no  signs  of  any  derangement  whatever, 
and  there  was  a  grateful  master  at  having  his  valuable 
dog  saved  from  an  otherwise  inevitable  doom." 

Mr.  Edward  Yearly,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.,  says  the 
New  York  World  of  August  16,  1898,  on  his  way 
home  found  a  little  dog  frothing  at  the  mouth,  trying 
to  get  up  and  falling,  and  snapping  at  imaginary  foes, 
things  which  always  make  unthinking  people  cry  out 
"  Mad  dog.!  "  He  knew  that  frothing  at  the  mouth 
meant  a  fit  and  not  hydrophobia.  Mr.  Yearly  went 
up  to  the  dog  and  patted  him  on  the  head.  The  crowd 
of  people  fled,  not  wanting  to  see  the  man  bitten  and 
perhaps  die  before  their  eyes.  He  had  some  crackers 
in  his  pocket,  which  the  dog  ate  with  relish,  and  seemed 
glad  and  thankful.  Finally  the  animal  recovered  from 
the  attack  and  Mr.  Yearly  started  for  home.  But  the 
grateful  animal  followed,  and  when  both  reached  home, 
he  was  made  comfortable.  His  owner  was  found 
later,  and  he  was  returned. 

A  small  dog  was  staggering  on  the  streets  of  Cleve- 
land, and  a  frenzied  crowd  had  gathered.  A  doctor 
rushed  out  with  a  pistol  to  shoot  him,  but  my  son 
Charles,  then  a  lad  of  sixteen,  put  one  hand  on  the 
dog's  back  and  another  under  him,  and  gently  lifted 
him  into  a  neighbor's  yard,  where  he  soon  died. 

Chief  Officer  Kayser  and  six  brave  seamen  of  the 
German  Steamship  Aragonia,  says  the  New  York 
World,  saved  two  starving  dogs  from  the  steamship 
Gallina,  after  she  had  been  abandoned  by  her  officers. 
"  The  dogs  were  so  thankful  for  being  saved,"  says 
Kayser,  "  that  after  they  were  in  our  boat  they  cov- 
ered my  hands  and  face  with  kisses.  I  shall  turn  them 


128       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

over  to  the  N.  Y.  S.  P.  C.  A.  to  be  held  for  Captain 
Frankland  who  commanded  the  Gallina." 

Rev.  W.  T.  Worth  of  Lynn,  Mass.,  in  Zion's  Her- 
ald, July  14,  1897,  tells  how  a  dog  in  gratitude  came 
to  a  house  to  defend  a  woman  who  was  his  friend. 
She  had  prayed,  and  felt  that  her  prayer  was  an- 
swered : 

"  One  winter  we  lived  on  a  lonely  New  Hampshire 
country  road,  only  one  farm  house  being  near.  One 
morning,  the  weather  promising  to  be  fair,  my  husband 
and  little  son  left  me  to  go  to  a  neighboring  town  ten 
miles  away,  expecting  to  return  at  night.  I  did  not 
mind  being  alone  as  I  was  busy  about  the  house ;  but, 
toward  noon,  I  noticed  dark  clouds  rapidly  rising, 
and  the  wind  began  to  blow,  and  soon  snowflakes  cov- 
ered the  ground.  Still  I  did  not  feel  anxious,  but 
kept  a  watchful  eye  down  the  mountain  road,  although 
I  knew  it  was  hardly  time  to  expect  my  loved  ones  to 
return.  The  darkness  came  on  swiftly,  and  the  storm 
increased  in  violence,  until  it  seemed  as  if  the  roof  of 
the  house  would  be  torn  off — every  old  shingle  appar- 
ently vying  with  its  neighbor  in  its  hurry  to  be 
gone. 

"  Hardly  daring  to  breathe,  but  longing  to  scream. 
I  lighted  a  fire  in  the  great  fire-place,  and  the  flames 
threw  their  ruddy  glow  over  the  room.  As  I  began 
to  realize  that  I  was  all  alone,  I  grew  more  frightened 
and  I  thought,  '  I  cannot  stay  here  all  this  night  alone.' 
Not  only  was  the  storm  to  be  dreaded,  but,  early  in  the 
day,  I  had  seen  two  most  vicious  looking  men  go  by 
on  their  way  to  the  village.  I  knew  that  they  lived  in 
an  old  shanty  below  us.  They  had  called  once  to  seek 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  129 

shelter  from  a  slight  shower;  and,  I  thought,  they 
will  surely  think  we  would  give  them  shelter  from  such 
a  storm  as  this.  I  did  not  know  what  to  do,  for  they 
were  never  known  to  come  away  sober  from  the  vil- 
lage. I  made  up  my  mind  to  get  to  my  neighbor'^ 
house.  When  I  opened  the  door  the  wind  nearly  took 
me  off  my  feet,  and,  blinded  by  the  snow  and  sleet,  1 
hastily  shut  the  door  and  went  back  into  the  lighted 
room.  But  I  could  not  rest.  I  wandered  from  room 
to  room,  and  it  seemed  as  if  I  should  be  insane  from 
fright;  for  never  before  had  I  experienced  a  mountain 
storm.  I  have  passed  through  many  storms  since 
then,  but  that  stands  out  with  a  prominence  which  will 
not  allow  it  to  be  ever  forgotten.  Going  to  the  window 
and  peering  out  into  the  darkness,  I  suddenly  felt 
prompted  to  pray — not  for  my  family's  return,  for 
I  hoped  they  were  sheltered  from  the  storm — but  I 
prayed,  '  Give  me  strength,  O  Lord,  to  overcome  this 
fear ! '  And  before  I  finished  my  prayer  it  was  an- 
swered. Above  the  roar  of  the  storm  I  heard,  under 
my  window,  the  barking  of  my  neighbor's  huge  dog. 
I  let  him  in,  all  covered  as  he  was  with  snow,  and  he 
walked  over  to  the  fire,  and  lay  down,  and  looked  up 
into  my  face  with  an  almost  human  intelligence,  as  if 
he  would  say,  '  You  needn't  be  afraid ;  I'll  take  care 
of  you.'  With  a  thankful  heart  I  lay  down  and  slept 
sweetly  all  night. 

"  The  owner  of  the  dog  told  me  the  next  day  that  in 
all  the  years  he  had  owned  him  never  had  he  known 
him  to  leave  his  mat  at  night ;  but  for  two  hours  they 
had  tried  to  keep  him  in,  and  at  last,  fearing  they 
would  get  no  sleep  if  he  stayed,  they  opened  the  door, 


1 30      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  he  bounded  away  into  the  storm  toward  our 
house." 

The  lady  adds :  "  Now,  by  what  instinct  was  he 
guided  ?  Did  he  know  that  the  one  who  fed  and  petted 
him  was  in  deep  trouble?  I  believed  then,  and  believe 
now,  that  God  sent  him." 

We  all  know  how  useful  and  enduring  are  the  Es- 
quimaux dogs.  Sir  John  Franklin  in  his  travels 
lamented  "  being  constantly  exposed  to  witness  the 
wanton  and  unnecessary  cruelty  of  the  men  to  these 
dogs,  who  beat  them  unmercifully,  and  habitually  vent 
on  them  the  most  dreadful  and  disgusting  impreca- 
tions." They  are  appreciative  and  grateful  creatures 
if  kindly  treated.  Dr.  Kane  tells  how  the  "  caresses  of 
the  dear  brutes  had  like  to  have  been  fatal  to  me," 
when  he  rescued  them  from  the  ice  into  which  they  had 
fallen  sixteen  feet  below  him. 

General  Greeley  says  in  his  "  Three  Years  of  Arctic 
Service " :  "  Our  dogs  would  now  never  be  recog- 
nized as  the  same  wolfish,  snapping,  untamed  animals 
obtained  at  the  Greenland  ports.  Good  care,  plenty  of 
food,  kind  treatment  had  filled  out  their  gaunt  frames, 
put  them  in  good  working  condition,  and  made  them  as 
good-natured,  appreciative  and  trustful  as  "hough  they 
had  never  been  pounded,  half-starved,  and  generally 
abused  from  their  puppyhood  upward.  Half -starved 
animals,  who  have  never  been  kindly  spoken  to,  and 
who  have  been  cruelly  beaten  on  the  slightest  pretence, 
necessarily  assume  in  self-defence  a  threatening  and 
vicious  attitude  toward  all  comers." 

Mr.  Walter  Wellman  in  his  "  Sledging  toward  the 
Pole,"  says  of  their  dogs :  "  It  was  not  necessary  to 


SUSANNE  AND   ANONYMOUS,    ARCTIC    Sl.EDGING   DOGS. 

Owned  by  Mr.  Walter  Wellman. 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  131 

beat  them,  and  whipping  or  beating  was  not  allowed  on 
this  trip.  It  was  wonderful  what  we  could  do  with 
these  dogs  by  talking  cheerfully  to  them.  They  didn't 
know  what  we  said  to  them,  but  they  were  as  keen  to 
scent  the  tone  in  which  we  said  it  as  they  were  to 
smell  a  bear  or  a  seal.  When  we  were  blue  and  talked 
snappishly  or  petulantly  to  them,  they  became  dis- 
couraged, too,  and  didn't  work  half  so  well.  Brace 
up  and  sing  to  them  and  call  them  '  Old  boy/  and  put 
a  jolly  ring  in  your  voice,  and  they  would  pull  their 
legs  off  for  you." 

It  is  said  that  Esquimaux  women  sometimes  walk 
in  front  of  the  dog  teams,  to  encourage  them  to  pull. 
They  are  especially  obedient  and  affectionate  to  women, 
because  from  them  they  usually  receive  all  the  kindness 
ever  given  them.  When  blows  from  the  men  make 
them  obstinate,  a  word  from  a  woman  will  incite  them 
to  great  exertion. 

If  all  women  would  save  a  homeless  dog,  as  did 
Mrs.  Ritchie,  in  the  following  incident,  what  a  dif- 
ferent world  this  would  be  for  animals  and  human 
beings  as  well : 

"To  the  Editor  of  the  Boston  Herald,  February  13, 
1897: 

"  I  saw  a  noble  sight  this  morning  as  I  was  passing 
along  Massachusetts  avenue.  A  carriage,  drawn  by  a 
very  spirited  pair  of  horses,  with  coachman  and  foot- 
man on  the  box,  drew  up,  and  an  elegantly  dressed 
lady  descended  to  the  sidewalk,  where  there  was  one  of 
the  poorest  specimens  of  dogs  that  I  ever  saw,  thin, 
sick,  and  nearly  starved.  The  lady  stopped  and  took 
the  dog  in  her  arms,  put  him  in  the  carriage,  and  I 


132       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

watched  her  stop  at  a  provision  store  to  buy  him  some- 
thing to  eat,  and  then  drive  off,  taking  the  dog  with 
her." 

Says  Our  Dumb  Animals :  "  The  lady  above  re- 
ferred to  was  Mrs.  John  Ritchie,  Jr.,  of  Warren  street. 
Roxbury,  who  recently  got  up  the  great  Mechanics' 
Building  entertainment  for  the  poor.  Mrs.  Ritchie  is 
one  of  our  most  earnest  members.  The  dog  above 
referred  to  has,  through  her  kindness,  a  good  home." 

We  do  not  realize  the  effect  which  the  sound  of  our 
voice  has  upon  all  animals.  A  horse  will  often  trem- 
ble from  harsh  words,  and  the  eyes  are  quick  to  show 
a  dejected  and  discouraged  look.  A  lady  had  a  canary 
to  which  she  was  greatly  attached,  but  one  day  being 
tried  by  its  loud  and  constant  singing,  she  spoke 
harshly  to  it.  To  her  amazement,  the  bird  stopped 
instantly,  gave  a  little  flutter  of  the  wings,  and  fell  to 
the  bottom  of  the  cage,  dead. 

Mr.  Strachey  in  his  Dog  Stories  gives  this  story 
from  L.  C.  Gillum.  "  A  clergyman  had  for  a  long 
time  a  dog,  and  no  other  domestic  animal.  He  and  his 
servant  made  a  great  pet  of  the  dog.  At  last,  how- 
ever, the  clergyman  took  to  keeping  a  few  fowls  and 
the  servant  fed  them.  The  dog  showed  himself  very 
jealous  and  out  of  humor  at  this,  and  when  Sunday 
came  round  and  he  was  left  alone,  he  took  the  oppor- 
tunity to  kill  and  bury  two  hens.  A  claw  half  uncov- 
ered betrayed  what  he  had  done.  His  master  did  not 
beat  him,  but  took  hold  of  him  and  talked  to  him 
most  bitterly,  most  severely.  '  You've  been  guilt)'  of 
the  sin  of  murder,  sir,  and  on  the  Sabbath  day,  too; 
and  you,  a  clergyman's  dog,  taking  a  mean  advantage 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  i  3  3 

of  my  absence/  etc.  He  talked  on  and  on  for  a  long 
time  in  the  same  serious  and  reproachful  strain.  Early 
the  next  morning  the  master  had  to  leave  home  for  a 
day  or  so,  and  he  did  so  without  speaking  a  word  of 
kindness  to  the  dog,  because  he  said  he  wished  him 
to  feel  himself  in  disgrace.  On  his  return,  the  first 
thing  he  was  told  was,  '  The  dog  is  dead.  He  never 
ate  nor  drank  after  you  had  spoken  to  him ;  he  just  lay 
and  pined  away,  and  he  died  an  hour  ago.'  ' 

A  New  York  paper  tells  the  following  story : 

"  During  the  great  storm  of  November  25,  in  which 
a  number  of  people  were  frozen,  a  young  man  named 
Thomas  Gallagher  was  struggling  through  the  heavy 
drifts  in  a  snow-swept  Brooklyn  street  when  he  heard 
the  pitiful  cries  of  an  animal  some  distance  away. 
Listening  during  a  pause  in  the  rush  of  the  wind,  Gal- 
lagher made  the  sounds  out  to  be  the  yelps  of  a  dog, 
evidently  in  great  distress,  for  the  cries  became  weaker 
with  each  repetition  and  were  uttered  with  great  diffi- 
culty. 

"  The  drifts  between  the  man  and  the  dog  were 
huge  and  deep,  and  the  man  was  poorly  clad.  He 
looked  at  them  and  hesitated  at  the  chilly  prospect 
before  him,  when  a  final  wail,  almost  human  in  its 
pathetic  appeal,  decided  him.  He  pulled  his  ragged 
hat  down  over  his  ears  to  keep  out  the  fine,  blinding 
snow,  jammed  his  red  hands  into  his  pockets,  and 
plowed  his  way  through  the  drifts,  guided  by  the  ani- 
mal's cries. 

"  When  Gallagher  finally  reached  the  dog  and  pulled 
it  out  of  the  snow  by  the  neck,  he  found  himself  the 
rescuer  of  a  mongrel  cur  without  a  single  beauty  or 


134       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

anything  to  recommend  it  except  big  eyes  that  looked 
up  at  the  man  with  an  agony  of  appeal.  The  dog  was 
almost  frozen. 

"  Gallagher  laughed.  '  Yer  all  right,  dog,'  he  said, 
reassuringly.  '  You  and  me  are  the  same  breed,  I 
guess.  I'll  save  your  life,  an'  maybe  ye'll  do  as  much 
for  me  some  day.' 

"  He  stowed  the  half-frozen  brute  under  his  shabby 
coat  and  carried  it  to  the  stable  where  he  worked,  at 
125  Bergen  street. 

"  The  dog,  warmed  into  life  in  this  humble  place  of 
refuge,  seemed  to  know  the  service  Gallagher  had 
rendered  it,  and  never  left  him.  The  man  had  no 
home,  and  frequently  slept  in  the  stable,  and  the  dog 
guarded  him  in  his  sleep.  Gallagher  used  to  laugh- 
ingly repeat  his  jest  about  their  relationship,  and  called 
his  faithful  comrade  '  Bum/ 

"  '  He  is  a  bum  all  right/  he  would  say,  '  but  I  saved 
his  life,  and,  bum  as  he  is,  he'd  do  the  same  for  me.' 

"  In  the  bitter  wind  of  yesterday  morning,  before  the 
dawn,  the  pitiful  cries  of  a  dog  were  again  heard,  as 
Gallagher  had  heard  them  a  month  before,  but  this 
time  they  came  from  the  stable.  For  hours  the  pitiful 
wailing  continued,  until  at  last  some  people  of  the 
neighborhood,  curious  or  annoyed,  went  to  the  stable 
and  opened  the  door,  The  mongrel  leaped  up  to  meet 
them,  and  then  ran  back- into  the  stable,  still  yelping. 
They  did  not  go  in,  and  the  creature  ran  back  to  them 
and  barked  again,  showing  them  in  plainest  dog  fash- 
ion that  he  wanted  them  to  follow  him. 

"  In  one  of  the  corners  of  the  stable  was  Thomas 
Gallagher,  frozen  to  death.  When  the  men  reached 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  i  3  5 

him  the  mongrel  was  lying  crouched  on  his  body,  and 
when  they  raised  it  up,  '  Bum  '  could  only  be  removed 
by  main  force.  He  had  done  what  he  could  to  save 
the  life  of  his  comrade  and  master,  as  Gallagher  had 
saved  his,  but  help  had  come  too  late." 

"  There  is  nothing  in  the  way  of  a  dog  that  is  as 
grateful  and  affectionate  as  a  little  mongrel  which  has 
had  a  hard  life  on  the  street,"  says  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Ani- 
mals. "  They  appreciate  every  kindness,  and  much 
more  than  pet  dogs  accustomed  to  attention." 

Our  Dumb  Animals,  June  and  July,  1900,  tells  of 
two  heroes: 

"  When  a  man  jeopardizes  his  life  to  save  a  fellow 
human  being  he  is  called  a  hero.  When  he  risks  his 
neck  to  save  a  poor  dumb  animal  from  torture  and  ex- 
cruciating agony  he  probably  should  be,  with  equal 
appropriateness,  called  a  hero. 

"  A  case  of  the  latter  kind  was  witnessed  this  morn- 
ing on  the  wharves  at  the  head  of  Jackson  avenue, 
New  Orleans.  The  object  of  the  heroic  deed  of  two 
young  men  with  kind  hearts  was  nothing  but  a  dog. 
He  had  been  in  the  river  floating  for  no  one  knew 
how  long.  One  gentleman  said  he  was  sure  that  the 
dog  was  the  same  he  had  seen  some  ruffians  throw  into 
the  river  from  the  Jackson  street  ferry  Saturday  morn- 
ing. It  was  most  pitiful  to  see  him  try  to  get  ashore 
after  he  had  made  his  way  among  the  piling  near  the 
ferry  house.  He  managed  to  find  a  place  on  a  big 
plank  and  could  thus  keep  his  head  out  of  the  water 
for  the  time  being. 

"  There  was  no  way  to  get  at  the  unfortunate  crea- 


136       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

ture  excepting  to  lower  a  man  over  the  water's  edge 
by  means  of  a  rope.  But  Mr.  W.  Evans  and  Mr.  J. 
Riley,  two  young  men  who  happened  to  see  the  sad 
plight  of  the  wretched  animal,  hurried  to  his  rescue. 
Riley  let  Evans  down  by  means  of  a  rope  and  the 
latter  by  the  help  of  the  feet  of  the  former  managed 
to  get  near  enough  to  the  water  to  seize  the  dog  by 
the  neck.  He  then  passed  him  up  to  Riley,  who  placed 
him  on  the  dry  ground. 

"  If  ever  dumb  animal  expressed  gratitude  and 
thanks,  this  one  did  to  the  boys  who  rescued  him.  He 
looked  at  them  with  eyes  that  spoke  more  than  could 
most  men's  tongues.  Then  shaking  the  water  from 
his  body  in  a  weak  sort  of  manner  he  started  on  his 
way  home,  a  suffering  though  happy  dog." 

"Joseph  M.  Ryan  of  Worcester  (says  the  Wor- 
cester Daily  Telegram)  risked  his  life  at  noon  recently 
to  save  the  life  of  a  drowning  dog. 

"  He  plunged  into  Stillwater  pond,  swam  fifty  yards 
to  where  a  dog  was  struggling  for  life  and  helped  the 
creature  to  reach  the  shore.  Ryan  was  exhausted  and 
thoroughly  chilled,  but  he  saved  the  dog.  He  did  his 
heroic  act  in  the  presence  of  many  men  and  women 
employed  in  the  South  Worcester  mills. 

'  The  dog  was  a  stray,  and  at  noon  the  men  employed 
in  the  above  mills  had  been  throwing  sticks  into  the 
cold  water  for  the  dog  to  bring  out,  until  he  had  be- 
come so  chilled  and  exhausted  that  he  had  sunk  once 
and  it  was  evident  that  he  was  drowning.  The  dog 
was  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the  shore 
when  Ryan,  throwing  off  his  clothing,  shoes  and  stock- 
ings, pulled  on  a  pair  of  greasy  overalls,  and  against 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  137 

the  remonstrances  of  those  who  saw  him  plunged  into 
the  icy  water. 

"  The  dog  seemed  to  know  that  Ryan  was  trying  to 
save  him,  and  all  the  way  to  the  shore  tried  to  lick  tht 
brave  hand  that  was  keeping  him  from  death.  Ryan 
was  weak  and  half  dead  with  cold  and  fatigue,  but 
when  at  last  he  swam  into  shallow  water  with  the  do/^ 
safely  held,  a  shout  went  up  that  was  heard  clear  ova 
on  South  Bridge  street. 

"  The  dog  was  too  weak  to  stand  when  he  was  hauled 
out  of  the  pond,  but  his  gratitude  was  none  the  less 
evident.  He  attempted  to  lick  Ryan's  hand.  Ryan 
got  a  good  rubdown  from  the  men  and  got  into  dr}' 
clothing  in  the  boiler-room  as  quickly  as  possible,  and 
the  dog  was  given  a  thorough  warming  and  was  dried 
comfortably.  He  went  home  with  his  friend,  Joe 
Ryan. 

"  Now  Joseph  M.  Ryan  of  Worcester  is  not  Dewey. 
He  did  not  sail  into  Manila  harbor.  But  he  risked  his 
life  to  save  the  life  of  a  drowning  dog,  and  at  the 
Directors'  Meeting  of  the  Massachusetts  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  on  May  i6th,  was 
awarded  by  unanimous  vote  the  Societv's  silver  medal." 

The  Cleveland  Leader,  June  29,  1900.  gives  this 
suggestive  incident,  as  a  hint  to  the  scores  of  persons 
who  pass  by  a  suffering  dog,  and  make  no  effort  to  take 
it  home,  or  relieve  it  by  sending  for  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon: 

"  Wednesday,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Goodyear,  of  the 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  Humane  Society,  were  in  Cleve- 
land. While  making  a  tour  through  the  down-town 
streets  they  noticed  a  little  waif  dog  lying  in  an  alley 


138       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

apparently  sick  and  suffering.  Perhaps  hundreds  of 
people  had  passed  the  animal  without  even  noticing 
him. 

"  When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodyear  saw  him  they  called 
the  attention  of  a  patrolman  to  the  dog.  The  police- 
man immediately  wanted  to  shoot  him.  Mr.  Goodyear, 
however,  objected,  and  called  up  the  Humane  Society. 
The  result  was  that  Humane  Agent  Ricksecker  sent  an 
agent  to  the  scene  and  had  the  animal  taken  to  the 
humane  office  and  cared  for." 

"  Firemen  who  were  working  in  the  debris  of  the 
Windsor  Hotel,  New  York,  burned  March  17,  1899, 
found  a  fox  terrier  imprisoned  in  a  recess  formed  by 
falling  timbers,  in  the  basement  at  the  corner  of  Forty- 
seventh  street.  The  animal  was  unharmed  and  frisked 
about  its  rescuers  in  livelv  fashion.  Inspector  Harley 
had  it  sent  to  his  office  at  police  headquarters." 

A  New  York  paper  gives  this  pathetic  picture  of  a 
poor  boy  and  a  po^or  dog,  the  latter  passed  probably  by 
hundreds,  going  to  buy  a  good  dinner,  with  no  thought 
for  hungry  animals.  Can  a  man  or  woman  be  a 
Christian  who  forgets  the  smallest  and  poorest  of 
God's  creatures? 

"  He  was  a  small  spotted  dog  and  he  sat  in  the  mid- 
dle of  Nassau  street  in  front  of  the  Tract  Society's 
building.  Elderly  gentlemen  in  black  with  long  faces 
passed  and  repassed  him  as  though  he  had  no  gnawing 
in  his  midst.  Generations  of  similarly  wretched  ances- 
tors had  given  this  small  quadruped  a  hunted  look, 
and  there  was  a  sharpness  to  his  nose  and  a  droop  to 
his  tail  which  told  the  caninologist  that  of  such  stock 
family  pets  are  not  chosen,  and  the  sad  look  in  his  face 


Gratitude  of  Dogs  139 

seemed  to  indicate  that  he  was  somewhat  of  a  thinker 
and  philosopher  himself. 

"  As  the  noon  hour  approached  he  looked  at  the  big 
clock  in  a  high  building  near  by,  and  apparently  plucked 
up  some  courage.  Then  he  picked  himself  up  and  tot- 
tered several  feet  nearer  the  door.  An  expectant  lick 
of  his  chops  showed  the  bent  of  his  mind.  Promptly— 
in  fact,  a  moment  before  twelve,  a  small  boy  with 
towseled  hair,  inky  fingers  and  the  mischievous  look 
peculiar  to  all  office  apprentices  came  tumbling  out 
through  the  big  doors  and  whistled.  The  cur  saw 
him  and  really  smiled.  He  beamed.  His  lank  jaws 
relaxed  and  his  tail  feebly  wagged  as  he  tried  to  show 
his  appreciation  and  gratitude  for  the  call. 

"  The  youngster  took  from  his  pocket  a  big  sand- 
wich— just  the  sort  a  mother  knows  how  to  prepare 
for  a  hungry  boy.  He  sat  on  the  curbstone  and  the 
cur  assumed  a  similar  attitude  in  the  roadway.  Almost 
bit  for  bit  did  that  smudgy-faced  &oy  share  with  the 
pariah  of  the  streets,  and  when  it  \va£  all  over,  and  the 
little  chap  had  gone  back  into  the  big  building,  pass- 
ersby  fancied  they  saw  a  tear  trickle  down  the  pointed 
muzzle  of  the  tramp,  dog,  but  that  was  probably  imagi- 
nation. However,  he  looked  shamefacedly  at  the 
passing  throngs  and  ambled  down  Spruce  street." 

After  the  burning  of  the  H.  B.  Hunt  Stamping 
Works,  April  n,  1900,  the  Cleveland  Leader  says: 

"  Early  yesterday  morning  the  watchman  of  the 
building  tried  to  climb  through  the  ruins  to  the  base- 
ment to  find  his  dog,  which  was  locked  in  the  engineer's 
room  at  the  time  the  fire  broke  out.  It  was  impossible 
to  get  into  the  basement,  and  the  watchman  tore  a  net- 


140       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

ting  off  one  of  the  windows  and  peered  into  the  flooded 
basement.  On  top  of  one  of  the  boilers,  just  above  the 
reach  of  the  water,  sat  the  little  dog.  The  dog,  on 
seeing  his  master's  face,  nearly  became  frantic  with 
joy.  With  much  coaxing  the  watchman  persuaded 
the  dog  to  leave  his  place  of  safety  and  swim  to  the 
window.  The  little  smoked,  dirty  and  bedraggled 
mongrel  was  picked  up  and  wrapped  in  his  master's 
coat,  and  the  watchman  said,  as  he  was  carrying  his 
pet  away,  '  I  will  never  part  with  you  as  long  as  either 
of  us  lives.'  ' 


CHAPTER  VIII 
Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other 

«~irT  was  during  the  war,"  says  an  Exchange, 
"  when  the  M—  -  family  lived  near  Mur- 
freesboro,  Tennessee.  The  children  owned 
two  dogs,  a  great  St.  Bernard  named  Hugo,  and  a 
tiny  white  poodle,  Fleece.  The  twro  were  inseparable 
companions,  and  wherever  Hugo's  dignified  self  ap- 
peared, there  gamboled  beside  him  the  absurd  bundle  of 
curls  and  wool.  It  was  Landseer's  picture  of  Dignity 
and  Impudence  in  life.  Hugo  looked  with  anxious 
solicitude  after  Fleece  if  the  little  fellow  ran  away, 
which  he  frequently  did,  and  never  gave  it  up  until 
he  brought  Fleece  home  again  in  safe  conduct. 

"  Battles  were  raging  all  around  them,  and  one  night 
the  firing  was  so  near  and  incessant  that  no  one  slept. 

"  The  next  morning  Hugo  and  Fleece  were  missing 
and  while  the  children  searched  for  them,  Hugo 
wearily  walked  through  the  gate,  carrying  poor  little 
Fleece's  dead  body. 

"  He  walked  to  his  mistress  and  laid  his  burden  gently 
at  her  feet,  then  with  a  look  of  unutterable  grief  laid 
himself  beside  it,  nor  could  they  coax,  nor  drive  him 
away.  Little  Fleece's  white  coat  was  blood-stained. 
A  stray  bullet  had  ended  his  happy  little  life,  and  the 
children  wept  over  the  sorrows  of  war,  realizing  as 
never  before  what  it  meant. ' 

141 


142       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  They  had  a  most  elaborate  funeral  and  buried  Fleece 
with  military  honors,  with  his  body  wrapped  in  a  flag, 
and  they  marched  to  the  grave  to  the  beat  of  a  toy 
drum,  with  Hugo,  who  followed  close  as  chief  mourner. 
When  the  little  mound,  flower  covered  and  draped  with 
a  flag,  was  finished,  Hugo  laid  himself  down  across  the 
tiny  grave  and  refused  to  be  comforted.  He  would 
neither  eat  nor  drink,  and  the  next  morning  they  found 
the  great  fellow  stiff  and  cold  in  death,  still  faithfully 
guarding  the  mound  that  covered  his  dear  little  friend. 
His  great,  loving  heart  was  broken  with  grief." 

Two  homeless  dogs  in  Cleveland,  in  January,  1900, 
a  St.  Bernard  and  a  small  one,  formed  a  friendship  for 
each  other,  perhaps  because  neither  had  a  home,  and 
shared  together  the  scanty  fare  from  garbage  barrels, 
or  now  and  then  a  generous  human  hand.  This  was 
not  frequent,  for  the  world  is  too  busy  or  too  indiffer- 
ent to  care  for  aught  besides  its  own,  generally.  The 
newsboys  were  good  to  them,  with  their  rough  ways, 
but  big  hearts.  One  morning  the  smaller  dog  was 
poisoned,  and  was  soon  too  weak  to  stand.  The  St. 
Bernard  walked  around  him,  and  whined  as  though 
longing  to  relieve  his  devoted  friend.  Finally  a  police- 
man seeing  the  little  dog  in  agony,  shot  it.  Then  the 
St.  Bernard  howled,  and  stood  over  the  dead  body  and 
moaned  piteously.  A  crowd  gathered,  but  no  one 
cared  to  touch  the  dog,  as  the  St.  Bernard  growled 
and  showed  his  teeth.  He  evidently  thought  his  little 
companion  was  only  injured,  and  would  revive  after 

a  time. 

*^tt 
Several  hours  passed^until,   seeing  that  the  body 

grew  stiff  and  cold,  the  St.  Bernard  seemed  to  realize 


I.  SULTAN,  owned  by  Mrs.  L.  M.  N.  Stevens,  President  N.  W.  C.  T.  U. 
(p.  149). —  2.  CHALLIFOND  HERO,  owned  by  Prof.  R.  D.  P.ohannan, 
Columbus,  O.,  winner  of  first  prize  among  thirty-three  collies  at 
New  Orleans;  also  prize  at  Philadelphia,  New  York,  St.  Louis,  and 
Kansas  City. 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other     143 

that  they  would  never  walk  together  again,  or  share 
their  food  or  humble  lodgings  in  shed  or  alley.  Finally 
he  allowed  himself  to  be  fondled  and  led  away  with  a 
rope  around  his  neck,  by  the  newsboys. 

The  Paducah,  Kentucky,  Sun,  October,  1899.  gives 
an  instance  of  affection  between  a  dog  and  a  cow. 
Both  belonged  to  Mrs.  Dickie,  of  South  Sixth  street. 
For  three  years  the  bull  dog  had  accompanied  the  cow 
wherever  she  went.  He  took  her  to  pasture  in  the 
morning,  came  home  at  noon  for  his  dinner,  returned 
to  her  in  the  afternoon,  and  led  her  home  at  night  to  be 
milked  and  fed.  He  always  slept  in  the  same  stall  with 
her.  One  morning  as  he  was  going  to  pasture  with 
her  he  was  attacked  by  another  dog.  The  cow  took 
the  part  of  her  friend,  and  attempted  to  help  by  her 
horns  and  feet.  Unfortunately  she  killed  her  friend. 
She  was  almost  beside  herself  with  grief.  For  a  whole 
day  she  stood  over  the  prostrate  body  and  moaned  and 
groaned,  till  the  neighbors  turned  away  from  the  deep, 
dumb  sorrow,  with  tears  coursing  down  their  cheeks. 

A  neighbor  of  ours  has  a  dog  who  goes  with  the  cow- 
to  pasture,  and  lies  near  her  all  day  in  sunshine  or  rain, 
while  she  eats,  or  rests  in  the  shade.  If  for  some 
reason  he  is  left  behind,  his  howls  are  unbearable  by 
the  family,  till  he  is  let  out  and  follows  her. 

Prof.  R.  D.  Bohannan  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  owner 
of  some  of  the  most  valuable  collies  in  America,  among 
them  Challifond  Hero,  and  Duplex  Admiral,  writes 
me  of  the  former :  "  His  special  fondness  is  for  cake. 
Say  '  cake  '  and  he  is  up  at  once,  barking.  Tell  him  he 
can  have  a  cake  if  he  can  tell  where  they  are  kept  he 
will  run  at  once  to  the  pantry,  and  put  his  foot  on  the 


144       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

stone  jar  where  cakes  are  kept."  Prof.  Bohannan  sends 
me  this  account  of  one  of  his  collies  and  a  Jersey  cow : 

"  These  two  are  constant  companions.  The  esteem 
is  evidently  mutual.  The  cow  licks  the  dog,  and  the 
dog  jumps  up  and  hugs  the  cow's  nose  with  her  paws. 
Where  the  cow  goes  the  collie  follows.  When  the  cov. 
lies  down  the  collie  -either  sits  on  her  back  or  else  lies 
down  touching  her.  When  any  other  dog  comes  near 
there  is  a  fight,  the  collie  considering  herself  the  cow's 
protector.  The  love  of  the  collie  for  the  cow  is  a  great 
deal  more  pronounced  than  that  of  the  cow  for  the 
collie.  Still  the  cow  never  licks  any  of  the  other  dogs. 
A  lick  from  a  cow  is  an  evidence  of  affection.  I  have 
never  seen  affection  between  two  animals  of  different 
kind  so  strong  and  so  much  in  evidence  as  that  mani- 
fested by  this  collie  and  Jersey  cow." 

The  Sioux  City  (Iowa)  Tribune  has  the  following: 
"  A  remarkable  instance  of  affection  between  a  dog  and 
a  cow  is  related  by  a  suburbanite.  His  little  black 
Scotch  terrier  became  infatuated  with  a  small  Jersey 
cow  in  his  neighborhood,  and  every  morning  he  would 
run  off  to  the  pasture  where  his  bovine  sweetheart  was 
kept.  He  would  slip  out  of  the  side  way  and  walk 
along  with  the  cow.  He  often  missed  his  breakfast 
and  often  did  not  taste  a  mouthful  all  day.  When  she 
munched  grass  by  the  roadside  he  patiently  sat  on  his 
haunches  until  she  moved  along.  Sometimes  he  was 
confined  at  home  to  break  up  the  habit,  but  as  soon  as 
he  was  released,  off  he  would  go  at  a  full  run  for  the 
pasture,  singling  out  his  love  from  the  herd  of  cattle 
and  following  close  at  her  heels.  He  would  jump  up, 
lick  her  feet,  and  show  signs  of  greatest  joy  when  he 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    145 

came  to  her.  While  the  cow  on  her  part  did  not  ap- 
pear to  appreciate  his  attentions,  she  did  not  hook  him 
away.  Finally  the  family  grew  tired  of  keeping  a 
dog  that  remained  away  during  the  day  and  only  came 
home  for  his  supper  and  to  spend  the  night,  and  gave 
him  to  persons  living  some  distance  in  the  country. 
The  cow,  who  had  never  seemed  to  notice  any  of  his 
demonstrations  of  affection,  missed  his  companionship 
when  he  was  gone.  She  would  come  to  his  former 
home  at  evening,  put  her  head  over  the  palings,  and 
low.  She  did  this  at  intervals  for  several  months." 

A  lady  from  Mississippi  writes  to  Pets  and  Animals, 
of  four  puppies  which  frolic  with  a  calf  and  sleep  on  its 
back.  The  calf  is  highly  pleased  with  the  affection, 
and  reciprocates  it,  fondling  them  and  licking  them  as 
though  they  were  her  babies. 

Farmer  Wainwright  of  Pennsylvania,  in  January, 
1898,  had  a  pet  puppy  that  was  greatly  beloved  by  a 
pet  goat.  One  afternoon  the  goat  ran  to  and  fro,  bleat- 
ing and  seeming  half  crazed.  The  family  decided  to 
follow  it,  as  they  knew  something  unusual  must  have 
happened.  The  goat  led  the  way  to  a  pit  ten  feet  deep 
into  which  the  dog  had  fallen,  and  was  nearly  dead 
from  its  struggles  to  get  out.  The  puppy  was  rescued, 
and  the  goat  fondled  it  with  delight,  as  though  it  were 
its  own  offspring. 

The  Philadelphia  Sentinel  tells  this  story  of  Don  and 
some  chickens :  "  A  hen  was  sitting  upon  a  '  clutch  ' 
of  thirteen  eggs,  and  Don,  the  black-and-tan,  soon  be- 
came very  curious  to  know  why  she  stayed  in  the  barn 
so  closely. 

"  The  dog,  it  appears,  had  formerly  been  given  to 


146       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

teasing  the  hen,  snatching  her  food  away  from  her,  and 
otherwise  making  himself  a  torment;  but  this  inter- 
course had  gradually  turned  into  friendship,  and  the 
two  would  sometimes  be  seen  lying  and  squatting  side 
by  side  in  the  sun,  on  a  bit  of  carpet  in  the  back  porch. 

"  During  the  three  weeks  that  the  hen  sat  on  her 
eggs,  Don  used  to  pay  daily  visits  to  the  barn,  and 
sometimes  would  stay  with  her  by  the  half  hour. 

"  Then  the  chicks  came  out  of  their  shells.  Don 
was  intensely  interested.  All  day  long  he  scarcely  left 
the  barn.  The  next  morning,  when  the  hen  stepped 
off  the  nest,  and  with  a  cluck  called  her  brood  after  her, 
Don  followed. 

"  The  hen  fell  to  scratching,  tnd  the  fluffy  chicks 
darted  hither  and  thither,  picking  up  the  tidbits  which 
the  mother  had  uncovered. 

"  '  .Good! '  said  Don  to  himself;  '  I  can  help  in  this 
business,'  and,  to  the  terror  of  the  chickens,  he  ran 
among  them  and  began  turning  up  the  soil  at  a  lively 
rate.  Then  he  sat  down  and  waited. 

'  The  mother  hen  called  back  the  chicks  to  the  newly- 
scratched  earth,  and  soon  they  picked  it  clean.  Then 
the  dog  took  another  turn,  and  so  the  good  work  pro- 
ceeded, to  the  great  delight  of  all  the  parties." 

A  shepherd  dog  belonging  to  Police  Captain  E.  W. 
Bradley  of  Cleveland,  in  February,  1899,  loved  and 
reared  a  family  of  kittens  as  if  they  were  her  own. 
When  they  were  a  month  old,  the  Maltese  mother  be- 
gan to  neglect  them,  and  the  dog  adopted  them.  She 
was  but  eighteen  months  old,  and  before  the  kittens 
came  was  somewhat  rougti  and  boisterous,  delighting 
to  run  after  horses  and  wagons,  but  the  cares  of  foster- 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    i  47 

motherhood  made  her  gentle  and  tender.  She  washed 
them,  played  with  them,  and  whined  when  they  were 
out  of  her  sight.  The  kittens  disowned  their  mother, 
and  devoted  themselves  entirely  to  the  clog. 

Our  Dumb  Animals  for  March,  1897,  gives  this  pa- 
thetic instance  of  the  pitiful  results  of  vivisection,  one 
among  thousands  of  useless  and  cruel  experiments  in 
the  so-called  interests  of  science,  ending  with  the  death 
of  the  dog: 

"  DEAR  MR.  ANGELL  :  The  Rev.  John  W.  Brown, 
D.  D.,  now  rector  of  St.  Thomas  Church,  New  York 
city,  kindly  permits  me  to  publish  the  following,  which 
occurred  in  his  own  family : 

"  A  small  dog — a  great  pet — disappeared  from  the 
rectory,  then  situated  not  far  from  a  medical  college. 

"  At  once  grave  apprehensions  were  entertained  lest 
this  dear  member  of  their  household  had  met  a  cruel 
fate. 

"  Through  a  medical  friend  search  was  made  and  the 
dog  was  found  within  the  laboratory,  emaciated,  man- 
gled, in  a  distressing  condition.  He  was  taken  home, 
and  the  family  physician  summoned,  but  the  cruel 
thrust  of  scientific  inquiry  had  done  its  fatal  work. 

"  A  bed  was  placed  for  him  near  the  fire,  and  he  was 
entrusted  to  the  kind  care  of  an  attendant.  But  there 
was  another  ministering  spirit  ready  with  quick  divine 
sympathy — a  cat ;  she  stretched  herself  so  that  her  soft, 
warm  body  should  afford  rest  and  comfort  to  the  suffer- 
ing creature.  On  one  occasion  when  the  master  of  the 
house  visited  the  dog  (in  order  to  give  evidence  of  the 
cat's  devotion),  a  dish  of  milk  was  placed  just  near 
where  the  two  were  resting,  the  suffering  creature  stag- 


148       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

gered  to  his  feet  and  the  cat  (well  nigh  incredible  to  re- 
late) walked  beside  him.  close  enough  to  serve  as  a  sup- 
port for  her  feeble  charge  to  lean  against  while  he 
lapped  the  milk,  the  cat  not  attempting  to  drink  at  the 
same  .time." 

Dogs  have  often  cared  for  offspring  not  their  own. 
Lady  Clyde,  a  St.  Bernard  in  New  York  in  1896,  cared 
for  and  nursed  five  little  leopards,  whom  the  mother 
Flora,  born  in  the  jungles  of  India,  did  not  seem  to 
care  for.  Each  of  the  baby  leopards  weighed  four 
pounds. 

Dogs  need  company,  and  are  desolate  when  left  alone 
day  after  day.  They  need  to  be  talked  to  by  their  own- 
ers, and  are  most  sensitive  to  approval  and  kind  words. 
A  lady  in  the  Boston  Herald  tells  this  story : 

"  Not  far  from  Boston  lives  a  little  terrier  of  unusual 
intelligence;  at  least  so  think  his  family,  who  are  de- 
voted to  him.  Not  long  smce  this  dog  brought  home  a 
strange  dog,  and  wig-wagged  his  tail  with  every  sign 
of  delight  at  having  '  run  in  '  a  welcome  guest  when  the 
household  questioned  him  about  the  visitor.  A  collar, 
with  the  owner's  name,  settled  the  matter,  however, 
and  Tim's  '  pick-up  '  was  taken  back  to  his  abode  as 
fast  as  possible.  Not  many  days  after  the  little  terrier 
walked  in  with  another  dog,  and,  prancing  and  cavort- 
ing, said  as  plainly  as  words :  '  Here  is  a  new  playmate 
for  me.  Aren't  you  glad  ?  '  This  dog  also  wore  a 
collar,  and  had  to  be  returned  to  its  address,  Tim  look- 
ing on  meanwhile  with  the  most  woebegone  counte- 
nance. But  he  was  not  to-  'be  discouraged.  K  other 
dogs  couldn't  play  with  him  he  would  have  something 
else,  but  it  must  be  alive,  so  in  he  trotted  the  other  af- 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    149 

ternoon  with  a  very  small  kitten  in  his  mouth.  lit 
isn't  much  larger  than  a  kitten  himself,  but  he  chose  this 
time  a  friend  who  was  tiny  and  helpless,  and  who 
hadn't  a  collar  on  his  neck,  and  to  make  sure  this  treas- 
ure trove  shouldn't  be  taken  from  him,  he  lay  down  on 
it  and  looked  defiantly  into  the  amused  faces  watching 
the  scene.  For  two  days  all  was  bliss.  The  kitten 
cottoned  to  the  little  dog,  the  dog  'tended  her  like  a 
mother  and  lover  combined.  It  was  a  regular  circus 
in  more  senses  than  one,  and  the  verdict  was  that  Tim 
should  keep  his  cat!  But,  alas!  fate  in  the  person  01 
a  girl  in  a  pinafore  appeared  and  ruthlessly  claimed 
her  lost  kitty !  There  was  no  denying  this  prior  claim, 
and  for  the  third  time,  poor,  lonesome  Tim  was  with- 
out a  mate.  But  now  a  real  live,  sure  enough  dog, 
having  been  purchased  to  be  his  very  own,  happiness  of 
the  most  demonstrative  order  reigns  in  Tim's  home., 
with  no  fear  of  separation  of  the  funny  little  com- 
panions." 

Mrs.  L.  M.  N.  Stevens,  President  of  the  National 
W.  C.  T.  U.,  tells  about  her  dog  Sultan,  in  the  Union 
Signal  of  June  29,  1897: 

"  About  twelve  years  ago  we  adopted  into  our  home 
a  handsome  St.  Bernard  puppy.  His  father  was  '  Mer- 
chant Prince,'  and  his  mother  belonged  to  some  noted 
dog  family.  He  was  white  and  yellow  with  pretty 
black  points,  and  he  was  gentle  and  kind.  He  grew 
very  fast  and  came  to  weigh  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds.  He  was  very  good  to  the  little  children, 
of  whom  there  were  some  in  our  home  and  many  in  the 
neighborhood.  He  was  kind  to  other  dogs,  especially 
to  those  smaller  than  himself.  He  was  very  fond  of 


150       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

the  horses  and  often  stayed  in  the  stable.  We  have  a 
cat  Jappy,  named  for  Madam  Chika  Sakurai,  our 
Japanese  W.  C.  T.  U.  sister,  who  was  at  our  house 
when  this  little  kitty  was  born.  I  forgot  to  say  that 
our  dog's  name  was  Sultan  (would  that  all  Sultans 
were  as  good  as  he!).  He  early  took  a  great  liking  to 
Jappy.  When  she  was  very  small  he  would  protect 
her  from  other  dogs  not  so  friendly  to  cats  as  they 
would  have  been  had  they  been  rightly  trained  at  home. 
He  would  sometimes  take  her  up  in  his  mouth,  holding 
her  in  the  place  between  the  long  front  and  the  strong 
back  teeth,  carry  her  across  the  room  or  the  garden,  put 
her  gently  down  and  lie  down  beside  her.  After  Jappy 
grew  up  and  had  little  kittens  of  her  own  he  would 
help  her  care  for  them.  In  the  winter  when  it  was 
cold  Jappy  and  the  kitties  would  often  sleep  all  night 
on  his  warm  furry  back  or  side.  They  would  never  eat 
each  other's  food,  but  were  always  generous  and  polite 
to  each  other. 

"  Our  home  is  away  from  the  center  of  the  town, 
and  Sultan  never  went  down  town  but  once  in  his  life. 
This  was  a  great  occasion  for  him.  The  Society  for 
the  Protection  of  Animals  was  holding  a  great  fair  in 
the  City  Hall,  and  I  planned  to  patronize  it  for  an  hour 
in  the  afternoon.  I  said  to  Sultan  in  the  morning 
that  directly  after  dinner  I  would  take  him  in  the  car- 
riage by  my  side  and  he  should  go  to  the  fair.  I  tried 
to  explain  to  him,  in  simple  language  such  as  he  could 
understand,  that  he  must  have  a  bath,  and  then  a  new 
yellow  ribbon  tied  in  his  collar.  Being  so  very  large  he 
had  never  been  in  my  carriage,  but  I  did  not  like  to 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other     1 5 1 

risk  his   following  me  over  the   railroad   tracks   and 
through  streets  he  had  never  seen. 

"  He  had  his  dinner  early,  and  was  allowed  to  lie 
on  my  sister's  couch  to  keep  his  milk-white  fur  and  new 
ribbon  from  becoming  soiled.  When  I  was  ready  I 
called  him.  He  went  directly  to  the  side  door,  where 
he  had  seen  the  carriage  waiting  scores  of  times  before, 
and  without  one  word  from  me  stepped  up  into  the 
carriage  amid  exclamations  of  surprise  from  the  mem- 
bers of  my  family. 

"  I  was  soon  seated  beside  him,  and  my  faithful 
horse,  Madge,  took  us  safely  to  the  fair.  Sultan  be- 
haved beautifully,  and  was  greatly  admired  by  all,  and 
when  I  was  ready  to  come  home  he  got  into  the  car- 
riage again,  behaving  as  well  as  any  good  boy  or  girl 
could  have  done. 

"  He  was  very  much  afraid  of  thunder  and  of  all 
loud  noises.  Sensitive,  fine  bred  dogs  often  suffer 
greatly  in  this  way.  He  was  always  glad  when  the 
Fourth  of  July  was  over.  His  master  and  he  were 
very  fond  of  each  other,  and  when  there  was  a  thunder- 
storm his  master  would  go  with  him  to  some  quiet, 
dark  place  and  wait  until  the  storm  was  over. 

"  When  I  left  my  home  to  make  this  long  trip  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  Sultan  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  family 
group  as  they  said  good-by  to  me.  I  put  my  arm 
around  his  neck  and  gave  him  a  farewell  pat. 

"  Dear,  good  old  fellow !  How  many  times  he  has 
greeted  our  white  ribbon  women  as  they  have  come  to 
our  house.  Miss  Willard  used  to  praise  him  for  his 
faithfulness  and  goodness,  and  with  his  great  brown 


152       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

eyes  he  would  look  up  into  her  face  and  express  his 
thanks  by  a  low  bark." 

Dogs  like  every  other  animal  sometimes  put  us  hu- 
man beings  to  shame  by  their  devotion  to  their  young. 
The  hours  are  never  irksome  which  they  spend  in  car- 
ing for  their  progeny.  No  self-sacrifice  is  too  great 
or  labor  too  severe  to  care  for  them,  hunt  food  for  them 
and  save  them  from  danger,  even  with  their  lives. 

In  1897  in  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y.,  a  dog  belonging  to 
Mr.  Edward  Bishop  was  rejoicing  in  a  family  of  pup- 
pies. All  were  given  away  but  one,  and  this  of  course 
was  the  idol  of  the  mother.  In  August  a  careless  bicy- 
cle rider  ran  over  it  and  killed  it.  The  mother  was 
well-nigh  heart  broken.  She  licked  the  dead  body  and 
hated  the  wheels  and  the  wheelmen.  They  had  taken 
away  her  all.  She  began  to  attack  those  who  had 
spoiled  her  happiness,  and  the  men  were  obliged  to  ride 
fast  for  safety.  Then  they  began  to  shoot  at  her,  and 
she  escaped  three  miles  out  of  town.  The  excitement 
and  sorrow  seemed  to  have  crazed  the  poor  creature. 
They  thought  her  mad,  and  their  shots  and  guns  doubt- 
less terrorized  her.  She  was  pressed  by  men  and  boys 
into  an  old  shed,  and  killed.  She  had  given  her  life  for 
her  dead  puppy. 

A  large  Dane  dog,  belonging  to  Mr.  Thomas  Chafee 
of  Shelbyville,  Indiana,  had  six  puppies.  A  horse  came 
into  the  stall  where  they  were  sleeping,  and  stepped  on 
one,  making  it  cry  with  pain.  The  dog  heard  the  cry, 
and  dashed  to  the  barn,  her  master  following.  The  dog 
sprang  upon  the  back  of  the  horse,  fiercely  biting  it,  and 
when  shoved  off  with  a  rake,  she  returned  to  the  attack 
four  times,  when  the  horse  fell  dead.  Then  she  at- 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other 


53 


tacked  the  master  who  had  tried  to  save  the  horse,  and 
after  a  hard  battle  fell  to  the  floor  exhausted  and  was 
shot.  Her  mother  love  had  caused  her  death. 

McClure's  Magazine,  April,  1900,  in  An  Arctic  Day 
and  Night  by  Walter  Wellman  says: 

"  A  rather  pathetic  bear-hunt  was  one  we  had  a  few 
days  later.  Mother  and  cub  came  ambling  along  the 
plateau  side  by  side,  and  of  course  the  dogs  soon  had 
the  pair  surrounded.  When  we  arrived  upon  the 
scene,  after  a  sharp  run  of  a  mile,  the  battle  was  in  full 
course,  with  the  dogs  getting  decidedly  the  best  of  it. 
The  poor  dam  had  been  hurried  almost  into  a  state  of 
exhaustion.  Still  she  kept  up  the  desperate  struggle, 
and  never  once  permitted  her  young  hopeful  to  get  five 
feet  from  her  side.  After  each  lunge  at  the  nearest  dog 
she  quickly  returned  to  her  baby,  and  this  fat  peace- 
ful little  fellow  did  his  best,  you  may  be  sure,  to  keep 
close  under  mamma's  protecting  paws.  It  seemed  im- 
possible to  shoot  without  killing  a  dog,  but  I  decided  to 
risk  it,  and  sent  a  Krag-Jorgensen  bullet  clean  through 
her  body.  With  the  blood  streaming  from  both  sides 
she  continued  to  fight  for  her  cub,  and  as  more  bullets 
crashed  into  her  vitals,  and  she  felt  her  hour  at  hand, 
her  last  instinctive  movement  was  to  gather  her  little 
fellow  to  her  breast  with  her  forepaws,  that  her  tusks 
might  give  him  protection.  Then  she  died. 

"  Feeling  his  mother's  grip  upon  him  relax,  the  cub 
climbed  upon  her  body  and  bravely  attempted  to  de- 
fend himself.  We  were  not  yet  so  hardened  in  the 
stern  life  of  this  region  that  we  could  step  up  and  put 
a  bullet  through  the  heart  of  that  trusting  youngster 
without  suffering  qualms  of  conscience.  Soon  mother 


154       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  son  were  blending  their  blood  there  upon  the  ice. 
Two  of  our  best  dogs  had  this  she  bear  killed  in  her 
fierce  defence  of  her  young." 

The  Journal  of  Zoophily,  December,  1896,  tells  of 
Polu,  a  hunting  dog  belonging  to  Sefior  Eduardo  Mon- 
tanban  of  Caracas,  Venezuela: 

"  The  pack  of  dogs  were  out  with  several  gentlemen, 
friends  of  Sefior  Montanban,  who  were  engaged  in  the 
chase.  The  dogs  started  and  followed  a  doe  with  two 
young  ones.  A  shot  was  fired  and  the  mother  was 
wounded  by  the  ball,  as  well  as  one  of  the  little  deer. 
Great  was  the  surprise  of  the  party,  when,  upon  arriv- 
ing a.t  the  spot,  they  found  the  brave  Polu  defending 
with  energy  the  little  wounded  fawn  against  the  fero- 
city of  the  other  dogs,  and  at  the  same  time  trying  to 
reanimate  the  innocent  creature  by  licking  it  tenderly. 
They  were  so  moved  by  the  example  given  them  by 
the  noble  Polu,  that  they  obtained  possession  of  the 
fawn,  and  taking  it  home,  tended  it  with  the  greatest 
care.  It  survived,  but  Polu,  a  few  days  after,  was  at- 
tacked by  some  mysterious  malady  to  which  he  fell  a 
victim." 

The  London  Daily  News,  1899,  te^s  tms  incident: 

"  Lord  Sandwich  had  two  intelligent,  companion- 
able, little  white  dogs.  He  was  very  fond  of  both. 
They  were  very  much  attached  to  him  and  devoted  to 
each  other.  One  white  pet  fell  sick,  and  he  watched 
over  the  little  creature.  But  no  care  sufficed  to  save  it, 
and  it  died.  The  loving  master  said  that  he  himself 
would  bury  the  dog,  and  he  did  so.  The  living  Pome- 
ranian (if  that  was  the  breed)  stood  by,  grieving  as 
sincerely  as  the  bereaved  master.  But  the  survivor 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    155 

could  never  again  endure  Lord  Sandwich,  shunned  him 
and  was  irreconcilable  for  all  time.  He  thought  that 
the  master  had  killed  and  buried  his  canine  comrade." 

Mr.  J.  St.  Loe  Strachey  in  his  delightful  book  which 
no  one  can  read  without  loving  animals  better,  Dog 
Stories  from  the  Spectator,  published  in  London  in 
1896,  gives  a  story  of  David  Hannay  told  to  him  by  a 
butcher  residing  at  Brodick  in  the  Isle  of  Arron  :  "  He 
told  me  that  he  had  had  two  collies,  one  old  and  the 
other  young.  The  old  dog  became  useless  through  age, 
and  was  drowned  in  the  sea  at  Brodick.  A  few  days 
afterwards,  its  body  was  washed  ashore,  and  it  was  dis- 
covered by  the  young  dog,  who  was  seen  immediately 
to  go  to  the  butcher's  shop  and  take  away  a  piece  of 
meat  and  lay  it  at  the  dead  dog's  mouth.  The  young 
dog  evidently  thought  that  the  meat  would  revive  his 
old  comrade,  and  thereby  showed  remarkable  sympathy 
in  aid  of,  to  him,  the  apparent  '  weak.'  ' 

Mr.  Strachey  gives  another  instance  of  a  dog's  hu- 
manity :  "  The  servant-man  of  one  of  my  friends  took 
a  kitten  to  a  pond  with  the  intention  of  drowning  it. 
His  master's  dog  was  with  him,  and  when  the  kitten 
was  thrown  into  the  water,  the  dog  sprang  in  and 
brought  it  safely  to  land.  A  second  time  the  man  threw 
it  in,  and  again  the  dog  rescued  it;  and  when  for  the 
third  time  the  man  tried  to  drown  it,  the  dog,  as  reso- 
lute to  save  the  little  helpless  life  as  the  man  was  to 
destroy  it,  swam  with  it  to  the  other  side  of  the  pool, 
running  all  the  way  home  with  it,  and  safely  depositing 
it  before  the  kitchen  fire;  and  ever  after  they  were  in- 
separable, sharing  even  the  same  bed ! 

"  When  not  long  ago  I  came  across  the  noble  senti- 


156       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

ment  that  '  hecatombs  of  brutes  should  be  tortured,  if 
man  thereby  could  be  saved  one  pang,'  I  found  myself 
dimly  wondering  what  constituted  a  '  brute.'  Certainly 
in  the  incident  I  have  just  given,  the  '  brute '  was  not 
the  dog!" 

Mr.  Strachey  tells  of  two  dogs  in  Wiltshire,  a  large 
collie,  called  Jasper,  and  a  rough  Skye  terrier,  Sandie : 
"  One  afternoon  I  called  them  as  usual  to  go  for  a  walk, 
and  making  my  way  to  the  lake,  I  determined  to  row 
across  and  wander  about  in  the  deer  park.  Without 
thinking  of  my  two  companions.  I  got  into  the  boat  and 
pushed  off.  Jasper  at  once  jumped  into  the  water  and 
gladly  followed  the  boat;  half  way  across  he  and  I 
were  both  startled  by  despairing  howls,  and  stopping 
to  look  back,  we  saw  poor  little  Sandie  running  up  and 
down  the  bank,  and  bitterly  bewailing  the  cruelty  of  his 
two  so-called  friends  in  leaving  him  behind.  Harden- 
ing my  heart,  I  sat  still  in  silence  and  simply  watched. 
Jasper  was  clearly  distressed ;  he  swam  round  the  boat, 
and  looking  up  into  my  face,  said  unmistakably  with 
his  wise,  brown  eyes,  '  Why  don't  you  go  to  the  res- 
cue ?  '  Seeing,  however,  that  I  showed  no  sign  of  in- 
telligence, he  made  up  his  mind  to  settle  the  difficulty 
himself,  so  turned  and  swam  back  to  forlorn  little 
Sandie ;  there  was  a  moment's  pause,  I  suppose  for  ex- 
planation, and  then,  to  my  surprise  and  amusement, 
Jasper  stood  still,  half  out  and  half  in  the  water,  and 
Sandie  scrambled  on  to  his  back,  his  front  paws  resting 
on  Jasper's  neck,  who  swam  across  the  lake  and  landed 
him  safely  in  the  deer  park!  I  need  not  describe  the 
evident  pride  of  the  one,  or  the  gratitude  of  the  other." 

Mr.  Strachey  in  Dog  Stories  gives  this  incident  in 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    157 

animal  friendship  by  Thomas  Hamber:  "  Thirty  years 
ago  I  was  living  in  St.  George's  Square,  Pimlico,  and 
near  me,  in  Denbigh  street,  at  a  distance  of  ten  minutes' 
walk,  resided  a  well-known  journalist,  Mr.  Percy 
Gregg.  He  had  a  little  black  and  tan  dog,  for  which  I 
found  a  home  when  his  master  was  about  to  leave 
London.  It  was  reported  to  me  that  Jimmie  always 
left  my  house  after  breakfast.  At  first  some  alarm 
was  felt  that  he  would  stray;  but  as  he  invariably  re- 
turned after  an  hour's  stroll,  I  felt  no  anxiety.  But  I 
ascertained  that  whenever  he  went  away,  he  carried 
off  a  bone  or  something  edible  with  him.  I  watched 
him  one  or  two  mornings  squeeze  through  the  area 
railings,  on  each  occasion  carrying  a  big  bone,  which  he 
had  great  difficulty  in  steering  through  the  iron  bars. 
Being  curious  about  the  destination  of  the  food  I  fol- 
lowed him.  I  tracked  him  to  an  empty  house,  next  to 
that  in  which  his  former  owner  had  lived.  In  the  cellar 
in  the  area  there  lived  a  half  starved,  ownerless  terrier, 
who,  I  suppose,  had  once  been  a  friend  of  Jimmie's,  and 
whom  my  dog,  in  his  days  of  prosperity,  never  forgot. 
Regularly  the  good  little  fellow  trotted  off  to  the  empty 
cellar,  and  divided  his  morning's  meal  with  his  poor 
friend. 

"  The  story  is  told  of  the  great  Napoleon  riding  over 
one  of  his  battlefields, — I  don't  know  whether  it  was 
Wagram  or  Austeditz — and  pointing  to  a  faithful  dog 
watching  the  body  <jf  his  dead  master,  with  the  words, 
'  That  dog  teaches  us  all  a  lesson  of  humanity ! ' 

"  So  did  Jimmie." 

The  Montpelier  Argus  tells  of  the  devotion  of  two 
setters  belonging  to  Mr.  C.  P.  Pitkin : 


158       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  The  dogs  are  devoted  to  each  other,  and  are  to- 
gether almost  continually.  Last  Saturday  the  Irish 
setter  went  on  the  ice  on  the  river  behind  Mr.  Pitkin's 
residence  and  broke  through  when  near  the  opposite 
side,  being  precipitated  into  the  water.  The  animal 
made  desperate  efforts  to  get  out,  but  the  ice  continued 
to  break  on  the  edge  under  its  paws  every  time  it  at- 
tempted to  climb  out.  In  this  way  the  dog  moved  too 
near  the  centre  of  the  river,  where  the  swift  current 
commenced  to  draw  it  under  the  ice.  When  the  dog 
broke  into  the  river  the  English  setter  appeared  to  be 
greatly  disturbed,  and  when  it  failed  to  get  out  rushed 
up  and  down,  evidently  trying  to  devise  some  plan  for 
a  rescue.  .When,  however,  the  dog  commenced  to  be 
drawn  under  the  ice  the  English  setter  set  up  a  heart- 
breaking howl  and  ran  to  the  barn,  where  George  Fitz- 
gerald was  at  work,  and  barking  and  evidently  trying 
to  tell  him  to  follow,  at  last  got  him  to  the  river  bank, 
where  he  saw  what  had  happened  and  pulled  out  the 
other  animal  from  the  river.  When  the  Irish  setter 
reached  the  shore  the  other  barked  and  made  the  most 
extravagant  demonstration  of  joy,  lapping  the  other 
and  plainly  showing  that  it  realized  the  danger  from 
which  the  other  had  escaped  and  its  thankfulness  there- 
for." 

"  A  spaniel  and  a  partridge  were  great  friends,"  says 
Sagacity  of  Animals.  '  The  spaniel  was  an  old  favor- 
ite, who  went  by  the  name  of  Tom;  the  partridge 
had  been  brought  from  France  and  was  called  Bill. 
The  lady  who  owned  these  animals  was  at  first  afraid 
to  place  these  natural  enemies  together,  for  Tom  was  a 
lively  and  splendid  creature,  very  apt  to  tease  cats,  and 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    159 

to  bark  at  any  bird.  But  a  trial  was  made,  and  Bill 
being  very  tame,  did  not  feel  much  alarm  at  his  com- 
panion. They  were  of  course  shy  at  first,  but  that  soon 
wore  off,  and  they  became  the  best  of  friends.  One 
dish  of  bread  and  milk  was  placed  on  the  floor,  out  of 
which  the  spaniel  and  the  bird  fed  together.  After 
their  meal  the  dog  would  retire  to  a  corner  to  sleep, 
while  the  partridge  \vould  nestle  between  his  legs  and 
never  stir  till  his  friend  awoke.  Whenever  the  dog 
went  out  with  his  mistress,  the  bird  was  most  uneasy 
till  its  return,  and  once  when  the  partridge  was  by  some 
accident  shut  up  a  whole  day,  the  dog  searched  all  over 
the  house  with  a  mournful  cry,  which  showed  the 
strength  of  his  love.  The  friendship  of  Bill  and  Tom 
had  a  very  sad  end.  The  beautiful  little  dog  was  stolen ; 
and  the  bird  from  that  time  refused  food,  and  died  on 
the  seventh  day,  a  victim  of  his  grief." 

Rev.  C.  C.  Carpenter,  of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  writes 
in  Our  Dumb  Animals,  August,  1897,  about  his  dog 
Prince  and  dove,  Polly: 

"And  who  is  Prince?  Prince  is  a  large  black  and 
white  dog  of  the  shepherd  strain,  with  a  fine,  hand- 
some face,  and  as  good  a  disposition  as  dog  or  man  ever 
had.  And  Polly  is  a  beautiful  white  dove,  with  the 
pinkest  toes,  bright  eyes  and  a  pretty  arching  neck.  It 
is  of  these  two  that  I  write  a  true  story,  every  word  of 
it,  and  Prince  and  Polly  can  be  seen  any  day,  just  as  I 
describe  them,  at  the  farmhouse  of  Mr.  Gary  Carpen- 
ter in  Bolton,  Connecticut. 

"  About  a  year  ago  Polly  for  the  first  time  came  to 
the  place  from  no  one  knows  where,  but  evidently  she 
liked  her  new  home,  and  instead  of  going  off  for  a  mate 


160      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

as  doves  are  wont  to  do,  she  soon  began  to  show  an  un- 
usual interest  in  Prince,  and  made  him  her  companion 
and  friend.  In  the  early  spring  as  one  morning  i  was 
approaching  the  farmhouse,  but  some  distance  away, 
in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  I  found  Prince  on  the  top 
of  a  rail  fence  sniffing  up  a  hollow  apple  tree  where 
squirrels  had  passed  the  winter,  and  there  not  two 
feet  from  him  was  Polly  keeping  watch  over  the  pro- 
ceedings. Later  I  often  saw  that  when  Prince  attended 
his  master  in  excursions  across  the  field  or  to  the  neigh- 
bors, Polly  invariably  went  along,,  flying  this  wray  and 
that,  and  alighting  at  the  end  on  building  or  fence,  but 
always  near  her  companion  Prince.  Each  morning 
when  the  door  of  the  house  is  opened  Polly  is  there  to 
make  her  daily  visit,  and  if  Prince,  as  sometimes 
happens,  is  lying  across  the  threshold,  she  hops  upon 
his  back  and  rests  awhile  before  entering. 

"  A  little  while  since,  Mr.  Carpenter  called  his  wife 
to  the  door  to  see  a  pretty  picture,  for  there  was  Prince 
half  lying  down,  in  the  attitude  called  couchant,  and 
Polly  between  his  fore  paws  and  nestling  under  his 
shaggy  breast. 

"  Strangest  of  all  is  their  way  of  showing  affection 
for  each  other.  Sometimes  when  Prince  is  stretched 
upon  the  ground  and  trying  to  sleep  Polly  will  walk 
round  him,  stopping  every  second  to  peck  his  tail  or 
his  foot,  and  when  this  has  been  repeated  a  few  times, 
Prince  lifts  his  head,  opens  his  big  mouth  and  takes 
Polly  into  it,  and  yet  so  gently  that  he  does  not  ruffle 
a  feather,  and  Polly  does  not  exhibit  the  slightest  fear. 
When  I  see  the  perfect  confidence  that  Polly  has  in 
Prince  I  think  that  if  all  children  were  good  not  only 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    161 

to  the  doves  but  to  all  the  birds,  perhaps  some  time 
their  fear  would  be  outgrown,  and  they  would  come 
to  us  for  food  or  kindness  and  be  more  than  they  are 
to-day  our  intimate  and  loving  companions." 

Rev.  Mr.  Carpenter  writes  me:  ''  It  is  the  most  re- 
markable instance  of  a  loving  intimacy  between  unlike 
animals  that  ever  came  under  my  notice.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Carpenter  are  very  fond  of  all  animals,  and 
there  is  an  atmosphere  of  kindness  about  the  place  that 
is  delightful." 

Rev.  F.  O.  Morris  in  Dogs  and  their  Doings, 
quotes  this  incident  from  Tutti  Frutti :  "I  have  a 
poodle  whom  I  would  make  tutor  to  my  son  if  I  had 
one.  I  sometimes  use  him  towards  my  own  education. 
Will  not  the  following  trait  of  his  character  amuse 
you?  He  conceived  a  strange  fondness — an  absolute 
passion — for  a  young  kitten,  which  he  carried  about  in 
his  mouth  for  hours  when  he  went  out  to  walk;  and 
whenever  he  came  to  a  resting  place,  he  set  her  down 
with  the  greatest  care  and  tenderness,  and  began  to 
play  with  her.  When  he  was  fed,  she  always  took  the 
nicest  pieces  away  from  him,  without  his  ever  making 
the  slightest  opposition.  The  kitten  died  and  was 
buried  in  the  garden.  My  poor  poodle  showed  the 
deepest  grief,  would  not  touch  food,  and  howled 
mournfully  the  whole  night  long.  What  was  my  aston- 
ishment, when,  the  next  morning,  he  appeared  carrying 
the  kitten  in  his  mouth !  He  had  scratched  her  out  of 
the  ground,  and  it  was  only  by  force  that  we  could  take 
her  from  him." 

Our  Fellow  Creatures,  May,  1900,  has  the  following 
true,  pathetic  story  of  the  dog  and  cat  belonging  to  the 


1 62       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

author  of  this  book,  Bernie  and  Kitty,  entitled  "  A  Re- 
markable Friendship." 

Bernie,  our  St.  Bernard  dog,  was  brought  to  us 
when  a  puppy  seven  weeks  old — a  fluffy,  yellow  ball, 
full  of  fun  and  frolic.  She  was  always  petted  and 
loved,  and  never  turned  out  of  doors  nights,  sleeping 
on  blankets  by  the  side  of  my  bed,  chasing  leaves  and  her 
shadow  in  the  valley  back  of  our  home,  and  seeing  noth- 
ing but  gayety  in  all  the  world.  One  of  her  favorite 
amusements  was  pulling  at  a  strong  piece  of  cloth  of 
which  I  held  one  end.  In  winter  she  would  bury  her- 
self in  the  snow,  delighting  in  scattering  the  flying 
flakes.  So  fond  was  she  of  her  human  associates  that 
she  would  cry  like  a  child  when  left  alone. 

In  time  Bernie  learned  what  the  words  "  to  guard 
the  house  "  meant.  She  would  then  lie  on  a  rug  before 
the  front  door  and  in  our  absence  allow  no  one  to  enter. 
She  was  perfectly  docile  and  obedient,  her  great  brown 
eyes,  human  in  expression,  seeming  to  ask  what  would 
please  us  most.  She  always  walked  by  my  side  night  or 
day,  keeping  a  watchful  eye  on  strangers,  as  though 
anxious  to  protect  me  from  any  harm. 

One  summer  day  being  asked  by  our  neighbor,  Mrs. 
Spelman,  to  drive  through  her  son's  extensive  grounds, 
Bernie  scented  my  footsteps  and  was  soon  on  their 
piazza.  When  the  carriage  came  up,  she  at  once  jumped 
on  the  back  seat,  sitting  upright  on  the  handsome 
cushions.  The  kind-hearted  hostess,  knowing  my  fond- 
ness for  this  dog,  allowed  her  to  ride,  and  she  evi- 
dently enjoyed  the  elegant  horses  as  much  as  I. 

Bernie  was  the  pet  of  the  neighborhood.  Every 
child  knew  and  loved  this  great  creature — who 


KITTIE  AND  BERNIE. 
Both  owned  by  the  author.     A  remarkable  friendship 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other    163 

weighed  over  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds. 
She  only  ate  once  a  day,  and  would  give  her  cookies  and 
meat  to  any  stray  dog  who  happened  to  come  to  our 
house  hungry. 

When  Bernie  was  about  five  years  old,  two  beautiful 
maltese  kittens  were  given  to  me.  They  had  never 
been  handled  and  were  so  wild  I  feared  they  could 
never  be  tamed.  After  a  month  one  became  ill  and 
died.  While  its  mate  was  ill  the  other  kitten  went,  as 
if  for  sympathy,  to  the  St.  Bernard,  crawled  between 
her  paws  and  kissed  the  big  feet,  as  though  seeking 
protection  and  love.  Bernie  responded  to  this  appeal, 
and  night  after  night  "  mothered  "  the  lonely  orphan, 
who  seemed  comforted  and  happy  only  when  close  be- 
side the  dog. 

For  a  year  these  two  walked,  played  and  slept  to- 
gether— in  fact  were  inseparable.  In  the  fall  of  1898 
Bernie  was  taken  ill  of  Bright's  disease.  When  carried 
out  of  doors  to  lie  on  blankets  in  the  sun,  Kitty  crept 
down  beside  the  dog  and  never  left  her  until  she 
breathed  her  last. 

When  Bernie  died  Kitty  seemed  desolate.  We 
petted  the  cat,  now  grown  especally  dear  because  the 
friend  of  Bernie,  but  love  and  care  could  not  save  the 
pretty  maltese.  He  died  in  early  spring  and  was  buried 
in  a  box  in  our  lawn,  at  Bernie's  feet.  Flowers  have 
always  been  kept  on  their  graves,  and  now  at  Christ- 
mas, a  year  after  their  death,  a  beautiful  holly  wreath 
is  placed  above  them.  They  loved  us,  as  well  as  each 
other,  devotedly,  and  why  should  we  forget  them  ? 

A  New  York  paper  has  the  following  story  of  a  dog 
feeding  rats: 


164       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Patrick  McNally,  an  assistant  foreman  in  the  De- 
partment of  Water  Supply,  which  has  an  office  in  the 
Harlem  Court  Building,  at  I2ist  street  and  Sylvan 
place,  has  a  fox  terrier,  which  he  has  always  believed  to 
be  the  greatest  '  ratter  '  alive,  but  which  he  now  thinks 
is  a  very  queer  beast. 

"  Maurice  Powers,  of  No.  2,396  First  avenue,  a 
clerk  in  the  Department  of  Highways,  which  also  has 
an  office  in  that  building,  is  used  to  taking  his  luncheon 
to  the  office  and  leaving  it  in  a  drawer  till  he  gets  time 
to  eat  it.  For  two  or  three  days  he  has  missed  the 
luncheon.  He  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  the 
matter  except  that  some  of  the  other  men  might  be  play- 
ing a  joke  on  him. 

"It  was  about  noon  yesterday  that  Powers  saw  the 
terrier  Nelly  run  into  his  office  when  he  was  in  another 
room.  She  did  not  see  him  and  he  watched  her  as  she 
ran  to  the  drawer  in  which  his  midday  meal  was.  The 
drawer  was  open  and  Nelly  sniffed  till  she  smelled  the 
food.  Then  she  seized  the  paper  bundle  in  her  mouth 
and  ran  out.  Powers  followed  her.  The  dog  hurried 
to  the  stable  in  which  the  two  departments  have  a  horse 
and  he  saw  the  dog  stop  there  and  open  the  paper  with 
her  paws.  She  then  carried  the  food  to  s  hole  in  the 
stall  and  dropped  the  food  piece  by  piece  through  the 
hole. 

"  Powers  summoned  several  other  clerks,  and  they 
went  in.  The  dog  anxiously  watched  them  as  they 
lifted  up  a  board  in  which  the  hole  was  and  thus  dis- 
closed a  family  of  seven  little  rats.  They  were  eating 
away  at  Powers'  lunch,  which  was  probably  the  third 
or  fourth  meal  they  had  had, 


Affection  of  Animals  for  Each  Other     165 

"  There  was  no  telling  why  the  dog  took  the  food  to 
the  rats.  McNaliy  said  he  thought  it  might  be  be- 
cause the  dog  had  killed  the  mother  and  was  sorry." 

It  is  probable  that  the  men  killed  the  rats,  useful 
though  they  are  to  destroy  vermin  and  filth.  Whenever 
we  catch  a  rat  in  our  large  trap,  I  take  him  to  the  woods 
and  let  him  out,  giving  him  a  chance  for  his  life.  I 
never  allow  my  dog  to  touch  him.  The  people  of  India, 
with  their  reverence  for  life  which  a  higher  power  has 
created,  will  put  us  to  shame  for  our  desire  to  kill 
things.  They  say,  with  something  of  truth  in  the 
statement,  that  only  Christians  are  murderers.  We  kill 
snakes,  without  even  once  asking  whether  they  are  not 
only  harmless,  but  exceedingly  useful  in  destroying 
noxious  bugs  and  insects.  We  kill  for  "  sport,"  and 
thereby  lose  tenderness  of  heart  and  nobility  of  char- 
acter. 

The  New  York  World,  July  5,  1900,  tells  the  follow- 
ing story: 

"  In  a  large  iron  cage,  built  on  a  plot  of  ground  in  the 
Cincinnati  Zoological  Garden,  are  a  magnificent  Great 
Dane  dog  and  a  curious  little  animal  from  India  known 
as  a  fish  otter.  In  their  secluded  situation  they  de- 
veloped a  warm  friendship  for  one  another.  The  little 
otter  taking  its  nap  between  the  paws  of  the  great 
canine  or  eating  from  the  same  plate  was  a  sight 
familiar  to  visitors  at  the  garden.  A  New  York  man 
who  admired  the  dog  offered  a  price  so  satisfactory 
that  Superintendent  Sol  Stephen  accepted  it,  and  to- 
day the  purchaser  appeared  to  claim  his  animal. 

"  When  the  dog  was  taken  out,  the  little  otter  hurled 
itself  against  the  cage  time  and  again,  uttering  strange 


1 66       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

cries.  The  dog  also  objected  to  its  new  owner  and 
threatened  to  attack  him.  The  Great  Dane  then  went 
back  to  the  cage  and  licked  the  face  of  his  little  partner. 
Superintendent  Stephen  and  purchaser  agreed  to  call 
the  sale  off  after  seeing  the  strange  demonstration  of 
animal  affection,  and  the  dog  and  the  otter  are  re- 
united." 

Florence  Blanchard  in  the  New  York  World,  tells  a 
most  interesting  story  of  Dombey,  a  pig,  and  Nero,  a 
Newfoundland  dog.  The  pig,  because  black,  seemed 
to  be  disowned  by  its  mother,  and  was  taken  into  the 
farmer's  home  and  reared  on  a  bottle.  He  became  a 
great  pet  of  the  family  and  of  the  dog,  romping  over 
lawn  and  veranda.  In  one  of  their  frolics  on  the 
veranda,  the  dog  ran  against  his  playmate,  knocked 
him  off  and  killed  him.  Nero  was  disconsolate.  He 
watched  beside  the  little  body  until  it  was  buried,  and 
then  guarded  the  grave.  He  never  remained  on  the 
porch  afterwards,  and  a  year  after  the  little  pig  was 
killed,  he  was  still  spending  hours  at  the  grave. 


CHAPTER  IX 
Faithfulness  of  Dogs 

AN  Exchange  for  April,  1898,  has  the  following 
story  of  Jack,  faithful  to  his  little  mis- 
tress : 

'  P'ease,  mister,  me  and  Jack  is  lost/  piped  a  small 
voice  to  Desk  Sergeant  McMahon,  of  Desplaines  street 
station,  Chicago,  the  other  night.  The  policeman 
dropped  his  pen  and  peered  through  the  railing  in  the 
direction  of  the  speaker.  Standing  in  the  center  of 
the  office  was  a  wee  bit  of  a  girl,  and  her  little  fingers 
were  tightly  gripped  in  the  tawny  coat  of  a  fierce  look- 
ing dog.  Both  were  covered  with  mud,  and,  wet  and 
bedraggled,  they  made  a  sorry  picture.  Sergeant  Mc- 
Mahon approached  the  girl  to  question  her,  but  the  dog 
showed  his  teeth  and  growled.  The  policemen  backed 
away  and  the  little  girl  smiled  on  him  sweetly. 

"  '  Jack's  a  dood  doggie,'  she  declared.  '  He  won't 
bite  you,  'cause  me'll  hold  him.' 

"  But  the  sergeant  remained  at  a  safe  distance  and 
prosecuted  his  investigation.  The  child  could  not  tell 
her  own  name,  but  was  quite  sure  that  every  one  must 
know  '  Jack.'  She  was  turned  over  to  Matron  O'Brien 
and  to  her  she  related  that  with  the  dog  she  had  left 
her  home  early  in  the  morning  and  wandered  about 
until  the  streets  were  all  so  strange  that  she  could  not 
find  her  way  back. 


1 68       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Matron  O'Brien  thought  that  identification  might 
be  facilitated  by  removing  some  of  the  dust  and  tear 
stains  from  the  little  one's  face,  and  with  this  end  in 
view  she  secured  a  big  sponge  and  a  piece  of  soap. 
But  '  Jack  '  was  to  be  consulted.  He  mounted  guard 
at  the  side  of  his  companion,  and  by  a  liberal  display 
of  very  fine  teeth  discouraged  the  cleaning  up  process 
so  that  it  was  abandoned.  All  that  could  be  learned 
of  the  girl  was  that  she  was  four  years  of  age  and  that 
her  mamma  was  a  pretty  woman.  At  ten  o'clock  the 
mother  of  the  wanderer  called  at  the  station  and  found 
'  Jack  '  curled  up  on  the  floor,  his  shaggy  side  doing 
service  as  a  pillow  for  his  baby  companion,  who  was 
sound  asleep." 

The  New  York  World  of  December,  1896,  tells  this 
story  of  Bruno,  and  his  small  master :  Bernard  Tismar 
went  out  to  play  in  the  snow  with  his  big  Newfound- 
land dog  to  keep  him  company.  The  mother  said  to 
the  dog,  "  Don't  let  anybody  touch  Barney,"  and  the 
dog  understood  it.  Three  hours  later  the  child  was 
found  at  i/2nd  street  and  Third  avenue,  more  than 
two  miles  from  home.  Barney  could  not  tell  where  he 
lived,  but  he  said  "  I'm  losted."  A  policeman  tried  to 
pick  up  the  boy  and  carry  him  to  the  station,  but  this 
Bruno  would  not  allow.  Then  the  man  took  hold  of 
the  child's  hand  to  lead  him,  but  the  dog  showed  his 
teeth  and  growled.  So  the  officer  walked  in  front  and 
child  and  dog  followed.  When  they  reached  the  sta- 
tion Barney  began  to  cry,  and  the  dog  jumped  about, 
wagged  his  tail  and  licked  the  little  tear-stained  face. 
Finally  the  dog  became  friendly  enough  to  allow  the 
number  of  the  license  attached  to  his  collar  to  be  read, 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  169 

and  then  the  owner  was  found,  and  the  child  taken 
home.  Bruno  was  as  delighted  as  the  child. 

The  Cleveland  Leader,  May  13,  1899,  tells  the  oft 
repeated  story  of  a  dog's  devotion  to  an  unworthy 
owner : 

"  When  Harry  Hart  was  arraigned  in  Police  Court 
Friday  morning  on  the  charge  of  intoxication,  he  had 
an  old  and  tried  friend  with  him.  It  was  a  little,  for- 
lorn looking  pug  dog,  covered  with  dirt  and  mud,  and 
with  a  piece  of  rope,  which  was  attached  to  his  neck, 
trailing  far  behind  him.  He  followed  close  to  his 
master's  heels,  and  lay  down  beneath  the  bench  his 
master  was  told  to  sit  upon.  When  Hart  was  ar- 
raigned the  dog  also  stood  up,  and  when  his  master 
was  sentenced  to  pay  a  dollar  and  costs  he  followed  him 
back  to  his  cell  his  head  down  and  the  curl  out  of  his 
tail,  evidently  feeling  the  disgrace  more  than  the  man. 
The  dog,  when  Hart  was  arrested,  followed  him  to  the 
police  station,  and  was  locked  up  in  the  same  cell,  re- 
fusing to  leave  his  master's  side." 

The  Morning  Oregonion  tells  this  story  of  an  old 
man  who  was  intoxicated,  and  not  being  able  to  reach 
his  home  lay  down  in  front  of  a  saloon,  his  Newfound- 
land dog  keeping  guard  over  him,  and  allowing  no  one 
to  touch  him.  Many  plans  were  made  to  circumvent 
the  animal  but  none  succeeded.  "  Finally  an  express 
wagon  was  brought  alongside  the  sidewalk  and  the 
dog  attacked  the  wagon.  At  length  a  man  from  the 
vantage  ground  of  the  wagon  managed  to  catch  the 
animal's  fore  paw  in  the  noose  of  a  rope  and  hoisted 
him  off  his  feet.  The  poor  brute  was  hurt  by  the  rope 
and  howled  pitifully  but  could  not  get  away  and  while 


170       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

he  was  fast  his  master  was  carried  across  the  street  and 
carted  off.  It  was  then  desired  to  let  the  dog  go,  but 
no  one  would  take  the  noose  off  his  foot.  The  man 
who  had  caught  him  absolutely  refused  to  '  tie  him 
loose,'  and  no  one  in  the  crowd  which  had  gathered 
dared  to  undertake  the  job. 

"  At  length  a  woman  who  had  witnessed  the  affair 
from  her  window  came  across  the  street  and,  speaking 
kindly  to  the  dog  at  once  won  his  confidence  and  loosed 
the  noose  from  his  foot.  The  poor  brute  commenced 
searching  for  his  master,  and  the  anxiety  he  evinced  to 
find  him  was  touching.  He  ran  around  in  every  direc- 
tion, smelling  for  the  old  man's  tracks,  and  when  he 
could  not  find  them  he  started  back  to  the  saloon 
whence  the  drink  had  been  taken." 

A  man  on  East  I2oth  street,  New  York,  was  arrested 
for  disorderly  conduct  in  February,  1900,  but  the 
policeman  had  his  clothes  badly  torn  by  the  prisoner's 
dog,  a  bull  terrier.  The  dog  refused  to  leave  his  master 
and  spent  the  night  in  the  cell  with  him.  He  trotted 
under  the  patrol  wagon  which  took  his  master  to  court. 
The  man  was  unable  to  pay  his  fine,  and  the  dog  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  cell  again  and  refused  to  leave  it. 

A  policeman  on  Washington  street,  Boston,  told  me 
a  similar  instance  in  the  summer  of  1899.  He  arrested 
a  man  for  drunkenness  who  had  a  dog  with  him,  much 
finer  looking  than  the  culprit.  The  dog  refused  to  be 
separated  from  his  owner,  and  was  locked  up  with  him. 

The  New  York  World,  April  18,  1900,  says: 

"  Policeman  Tooman,  of  Jersey  City,  early  yester- 
day morning  found  Frank  Schultz,  a  canal-boat  cap- 
tain, lying  helplessly  intoxicated  in  Grand  street.  A 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  171 

dog  was  by  his  side,  and  when  the  policeman  tried  to 
arouse  the  man  the  dog  snarled  and  snapped. 

"  The  policeman  finally  drove  the  dog  back  and  got 
its  master  on  his  feet.  All  the  way  to  the  police  sta- 
tion the  dog  kept  up  a  pathetic  howl  as  if  pleading  for 
the  release  of  Schultz.  Into  the  station  the  dog  fol- 
lowed the  policeman  and  prisoner,  and  at  Schultz's 
earnest  request  spent  the  night  with  him  in  the  cell. 

"  Schultz  carried  the  faithful  dog  into  court,  and 
when  a  fine  of  $5  was  paid  the  dog  seemed  to  under- 
stand that  its  master  was  free  and  wagged  its  tail  and 
cavorted  around  as  if  for  joy." 

When  Thomas  Donahue  of  Cleveland  was  arrested, 
his  pet  collie  howled  so  dismally  about  the  station  that 
it  was  allowed  to  enter  its  master's  cell.  In  the  morn- 
ing when  the  man  was  called  for  drunkenness,  the  dog 
barked  and  stood  up  on  its  hind  legs,  as  though  plead- 
ing with  the  judge.  The  latter  thought  the  culprit 
could  not  be  a  very  bad  man  if  his  dog  thus  loved  him, 
and  discharged  him.  The  dog  thanked  the  judge  by 
loud  barking. 

"  A  thief  in  Paris,  being  chased  by  the  police,  threw 
away,  during  his  flight,  the  purse  he  had  stolen,  and 
was  in  a  fair  way,  after  being  taken  to  the  police  sta- 
tion, of  being  allowed  to  go  free  for  lack  of  evidence 
to  hold  him,  when  his  faithful  dog,  which  he  had 
trained  to  fetch  and  carry,  trotted  into  the  station, 
wagging  its  tail,  with  the  missing  purse  in  its  mouth." 

"  Mrs.  Anna  Ebker,  aged  twenty-six  years,  of  Day- 
ton, Ohio,  committed  suicide,  April  29,  1900,  by  hang- 
ing herself  with  a  clothes  line  in  a  barn.  The  young 
woman's  faithful  dog  made  the  discovery  and  would 


172       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

not  leave  her  body,  but  marched  her  brother  and  a 
neighbor  to  the  scene,  although  too  late.  Miss  Ebker 
was  probably  mentally  deranged." 

"  Shortly  after  dark  on  December  21,"  says  the  Cin- 
cinnati Enquirer,  "  the  body  of  John  Butt  was  found 
a  few  miles  south  of  Georgetown,  Ohio,  he  having  shot 
himself  while  out  hunting  during  the  day.  Young 
Butt  had  left  his  home  that  morning  accompanied  only 
by  his  dog.  The  family  thought  nothing  of  his  absence 
until  a  few  hours  after  dark,  when  the  dog  returned 
home  and  began  howling  pitifully  about  his  home,  at- 
tracting their  attention.  A  lantern  was  procured  and 
the  father  and  a  son  set  out  following  the  dog,  which 
ran  on  ahead,  looking  back  every  few  feet  and  barking 
for  them  to  follow.  He  led  them  straight  to  where  the 
body  was  found,  cold  in  death.  The  gun  had  been 
accidentally  discharged  while  loading  it,  the  load  tak- 
ing effect  in  the  stomach,  nearly  disemboweling  him. 
He  had  been  dead  several  hours." 

Two  lost  boys  were  observed  by  a  New  York  police- 
man sitting  in  front  of  the  Fifth  street  station  crying, 
and  hugging  a  much  bedraggled  small  dog,  who  barked 
furiously  and  would  not  let  the  officer  come  very  near. 
The  matron  at  headquarters  finally  put  the  children  to 
sleep  and  the  faithful  dog  kept  guard.  It  was 
learned  that  these  five-year-olds  had  wandered  from 
East  Fifty-sixth  street  to  Fifth  street  and  did  not  know 
the  way  home. 

On  June  24,  1900,  Major,  a  policeman's  dog,  found 
a  sleeping  child  under  the  board  walks  at  Coney  Island, 
at  half  past  one  at  night.  The  little  girl  had  taken  a 
ride  to  the  seashore,  with  ten  cents  in  her  pocket,  and 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  173 

the  money  not  holding  out,  and  being  ashamed  to  beg, 
supperless  and  alone,  she  crawled  under  the  boards  for 
the  night.  The  dog  saved  her. 

A  Great  Dane  protected  a  drinking  woman  on  the 
streets  of  New  York,  so  that  the  police  did  not  like  to 
attempt  her  arrest.  One  night  she  was  alone.  "  Where 
is  your  dog?  "  asked  the  officer.  "  He's  at  home  sick,"' 
said  the  woman  sorrowfully.  They  used  the  oppor- 
tunity, took  her  to  the  police  court,  and  she  was  sent 
to  the  workhouse  for  three  months.  Probably  the  dog, 
if  he  lived,  was  the  only  one  who  mourned  her  absence, 
and  longed  for  her  return. 

The  Chicago  Tribune  tells  this  story  of  Fido's 
loyalty  to  a  boy  of  twelve :  "  Partly  on  account  of  the 
affection  of  the  dog  Fido  for  his  master,  twelve-year- 
old  Otto  Fidley,  Justice  Martin  dismissed  the  charge 
of  larceny  against  the  boy.  Otto  ran  away  from  his 
home  taking  the  dog  with  him.  The  pair  had  a  hard 
time  keeping  alive,  but  they  stuck  together  through  all 
their  trials.  The  boy  was  arrested  for  stealing  news- 
papers.. The  dog  followed  him  to  the  Central  police  sta- 
tion and  later  to  the  Harrison  street,  whining  around 
until  the  policeman  finally  allowed  him  to  go  into  the 
cell  with  Otto.  When  the  case  was  called  before  the 
Justice  the  lad's  mother  promised  to  take  him  home  if 
the  case  was  dismissed." 

The  story  of  Leslie  Livermore  and  his  dog  Kaiser, 
first  told  by  the  Hoboken  Observer  and  later  by  the 
New  York  Times,  January  5,  1900,  has  touched  many 
hearts : 

"  Recorder  Stanton  of  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  yes- 
terday passed  a  sentence  of  sixty  days  in  jail  upon 


174       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

a  mongrel  dog.  This  sentence  was  accompanied  by  one 
of  similar  length  upon  the  dog's  master.  The  latter 
was  Leslie  Livermore,  fifty-two  years  of  age  and 
older  in  appearance  than  in  years,  gaunt  from  hunger, 
and  clad  in  rags. 

"  There  was  nothing  handsome  about  the  dog.  His 
tail  was  only  a  stump,  his  ribs  had  no  flesh  on  them, 
and  he  was  a  generally  run  down  animal,  a  fit  match 
in  appearance  for  his  master.  In  breed  he  appeared  to 
belong  to  the  class  usually  dubbed  '  yellow  '  without 
regard  to  color.  He  bore  the  name  Kaiser. 

"  Man  and  dog  appeared  in  the  office  of  the  Over- 
seer of  the  Poor,  Mr.  Barck  in  Hoboken,  Wednesday 
night.  The  man  said  they  had  been  driven  by  the 
cold  from  their  only  shelter,  an  old  canal  boat  in  the 
Fifteenth  street  basin  and  had  called  to  seek  admission 
to  the  almshouse. 

'  I  guess  I  can  accommodate  you','  remarked  the 
man,  '  but  I  can  do  nothing  for  Kaiser.  There  is  no 
county  institution  for  the  care  of  vagrant  dogs,  so  you 
will  have  to  bid  him  good-by.' 

"  Livermore  straightened  up  and  for  a  moment  pre- 
sented a  brave  front  as  he  said :  '  Then  he  and  I  will 
go  and  die  on  the  streets  together.  I  owe  Kaiser  my 
life,  and  sooner  than  part  with  him  I'm  willing  to  lose 
it.' 

'  The  man  began  to  sob,  and  dropping  on  one  knee 
he  stroked  the  dog's  head  saying :  '  No,  Kaiser,  they 
can't  separate  us.  We  have  no  one  but  each  other, 
and  we'll  die  together  if  we  can't  do  any  better." 

'  Then  he  told  his  story.  '  I  had  a  canal  boat  once,' 
he  said,  '  but  it  sank  one  night,  and  but  for  Kaiser  I 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  175 

would  not  be  here  to  tell  it.  I  was  sleeping  soundly 
in  my  bunk  when  I  felt  something  pulling  the  bed 
clothes  from  me,  and  a  short  time  later  Kaiser  poked 
his  snout  against  my  face,  howling  from  time  to  time  in 
the  most  dismal  way  imaginable.  I  was  just  begin- 
ning to  rub  the  sleep  from  my  eyes  when  I  heard  a 
strange  gurgle,  and  all  at  once  the  water  came  pouring 
in  down  the  hatchway.  I  had  barely  time  to  save  my- 
self and  I  would  have  been  lost  but  for  Kaiser.  At 
that  time  I  vowed  to  keep  him  as  long  as  I  lived,  and 
while  life  remains  he  and  I  will  weather  the  storm 
together.' 

"  Mr.  Barck  gave  the  pair  shelter  and  food  for  the 
night  and  yesterday  took  them  before  Recorder  Stan- 
ton.  Livermore  told  his  story  again  and  the  Recorder 
passed  sentence  upon  the  pair  as  vagrants,  and  they 
went  to  jail  happy  because  they  were  together." 

"  Mr.  Livermore  certainly  appears  to  have  a  humane 
feeling  for  his  faithful  dog,  Kaiser,"  Mr.  E.  R.  Stanton 
wrote  me  in  reply  to  a  letter  about  the  two  friends. 
"  Because  of  that  fact  I  had  arrangements  made  with 
the  jail,  to  give  shelter  to  the  dog,  when  I  committed 
Livermore  to  that  institution  to  provide  him  with  a 
home  in  cold  weather." 

When  Livermore  reached  the  jail  and  sat  down  on  a 
cot  in  his  cell,  he  said  to  his  dumb  companion :  "  Well, 
Kaiser,  it's  warm  here,  anyway,  and  we'll  get  some- 
thing to  eat,  too."  Kaiser  made  many  friends  in  the 
Hudson  County  (N.  J.)  jail,  where  he  and  his  master 
were  allowed  the  use  of  the  corridor.  Several  persons 
sent  money  to  the  man  and  his  dog,  interested  espe- 
cially because  of  his  kindness  to  Kaiser.  One  lady  from 


176       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Detroit  sent  $5,  another  person  $5,  and  others  smaller 
sums,  till  $17  or  more  had  been  received.  When  asked 
if  he  would  like  to  go  to  the  National  Home  for  Dis- 
abled Soldiers  at  Washington  he  replied,  "  I'll  go  if  I 
can  keep  Kaiser.'' 

The  necessary  papers  were  prepared  and  permission 
given  to  Livermore  to  enter  the  Home,  as  he  had 
served  his  country  in  the  Civil  War.  A  dog  would 
have  been  a  comfort  to  many  of  the  old  soldiers,  but 
the  animal  could  not  be  received.  With  commendable 
spirit,  and  faithfulness  to  the  dog  that  saved  him  the 
old  soldier  refused  the  proffered  home.  "  What !  Live 
in  comfort  and  let  the  dog  shift  for  himself !  No,  I'll 
keep  the  dog,  and  will  take  to  the  fields  for  it,  and  fight 
it  out  as  we  have  done  before.  I  will  go  out  into  the 
woods  and  get  something  to  eat  there  before  I  will 
give  up  the  dog." 

"  Very  well,"  Mr.  Barck  replied,  "  if  you  want  to 
give  up  your  future  comfort  for  a  mongrel  like  that 
you  can  do  it;  but  it's  what  not  more  than  one  man  in 
a  thousand  would  do  for  a  human  being." 

"  Well,"  said  Livermore.  "  where  is  the  human  being 
who  would  stick  to  me  like  Kaiser  did?  I  wouldn't 
shiver  and  starve  for  the  companionship  of  a  miserable 
old  man  like  I  am  as  he  has  done,"  and  then,  to  the  dog, 
"  No,  Kaiser;  I'm  sorry  you  saved  my  life,  but  you  did 
save  it,  and  I  won't  give  you  up  now." 

Such  a  love  for  an  animal,  and  gratitude  to  a  dumb 
creature,  awakened  a  kind  interest  in  several  hearts. 
There  must  be  some  nobility  in  a  man  who  could  not 
forget  a  kindness  done  him.  After  further  appeals 
made  to  Washington,  Kaiser  gained  a  permit  to 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  1 77 

enter  the  Home  with  his  master.  Fortunately  a  bet- 
ter way  was  provided  for  him  and  Livermore.  On  May 
3,  says  the  New  York  Times,  Leslie  J.  Livermore 
walked  into  the  office  of  Henry  Barck,  Poormaster  of 
Hoboken,  and  exhibiting  some  bank  notes,  said,  "  My 
dog  Kaiser  has  once  more  saved  my  life.  I  am  now 
a  comparatively  wealthy  man  and  I  owe  it  all  to  my  dog 
and  the  kind  friends  who  interested  themselves  in  me 
for  the  sake  of  my  faithful  animal.  Miss  E.  M.  Ewen, 
who  lives  at  King's  Bridge,  read  in  the  New  York 
Times  that  I  refused  to  part  with  my  dog  in  order  to 
gain  admission  to  the  Soldiers'  Home.  She  bought 
me  a  horse  and  wagon  and  stocked  it  with  vegetables 
and  fruit,  and  I  am  now  doing  an  excellent  business  in 
Westchester  county.  All  the  people  up  there  have 
read  about  Kaiser  and  are  anxious  to  do  what  they  can 
to  help  me.  I  have  a  good  home  and  am  making 
money." 

Livermore  remained  at  the  country  home  of  Miss 
Ewen  until  November,  when  he  went  south.  She 
writes  me :  "  I  never  saw  such  a  wonderful  attach- 
ment as  that  of  the  dog  for  his  master.  It  was  simply 
agony  to  be  separated  from  him  even  for  a  short  time." 

Rev.  Charles  Josiah  Adams  of  Rossville,  New  York 
city,  tells  this  story  of  faithfulness : 

"  A  farmer  missed  his  dog.  Some  days  went  by. 
The  dog  was  given  up  for  lost.  The  farmer  one  day 
wanted  a  particular  coat.  He  could  not  find  it  about 
the  house.  When,  as  he  admitted,  he  had  made  a  fool 
of  himself  by  declaring  that  he  had  never  seen  such  a 
house,  nor  met  so  careless  a  woman  as  his  wife,  he  re- 
membered that  the  last  time  he  had  worn  the  coat  for 


178       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

which  he  was  looking  was  when  he  was  ploughing  a 
back  field.  He  went  to  that  field  and  found,  not  only 
his  coat,  but  also  his  dog,  who  was  so  weak  and  emaci- 
ated that  he  could  hardly  wag  his  tail.  There  must 
have  been  in  that  dog's  mind  for  days  a  conflict  between 
hunger  and  a  sense  of  duty.  And  the  sense  of  duty 
must  have  won." 

William  Grey  and  his  wife  Mary,  escaped  as  by  a 
miracle  from  a  burning  building  in  Long  Island  City 
belonging  to  the  Agricultural  Chemical  Company,  by 
leaping  forty  feet  from  the  window  of  their  room.  In 
front  of  the  blazing  building  stood  a  huge  bloodhound, 
kept  there  to  guard  the  yard,  who  would  allow  none 
of  the  rescuers  to  come  near.  Unheeding  the  sparks 
that  fell  around  him,  he  held  the  crowd  at  a  distance. 
The  night  watchman  finally  muzzled  him  and  dragged 
him  away  from  his  post,  where  he  would  have  died 
defending  the  property. 

Miss  Annie  Granger,  Librarian  of  the  South  Side 
Public  Library,  Cleveland,  sends  me  this  true  story: 

"  A  water  spaniel  came  and  scratched  on  the 
door  of  my  sister's  home  several  years  ago.  She 
opened  the  door  thinking  it  was  her  own  dog,  when 
in  walked  a  little  brown  stranger,  wagging  his  tail 
in  answer  to  her  '  How  do  you  do,  doggie  ?  ' 

"  He  was  given  a  saucer  of  milk  and  some  breakfast, 
and  patted  and  spoken  to  kindly,  and  after  a  while  it 
became  apparent  that  he  intended  to  take  up  his  abode 
there.  But  my  sister's  husband  vetoed  the  dog's  plans, 
thinking  three  dogs  would  prove  one  too  many  to  have 
around,  yet  permitted  the  dog  to  stay  until  some  one 
came  to  claim  him  or  he  could  be  taken  away.  Mean- 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  179 

time  the  little  fellow  seemed  to  make  no  trouble  and 
was  thoroughly  contented  in  his  adopted  home. 

"  Eventually  he  was  given  to  a  man  living  in  Glen- 
ville,  a  distance  of  at  least  fifteen  miles,  but  he  found 
his  way  back  to  the  South  side  to  his  adopted  home. 
Then  he  was  given  to  a  man  in  Warrensville  only  to 
come  back  a  second  time.  But  the  family  to  which  he 
was  so  much  attached  had  moved,  and  his  master  learn- 
ing of  his  return  to  the  old  home  came  after  him  and 
took  him  to  the  new  home.  Some  way  the  dog  did 
not  like  the  new  location  and  went  back  to  the  original 
home  for  the  third  time.  Thus  it  came  about  that 
they  decided  to  send  him  to  a  sister  in  Chicago.  He 
was  sent  by  express,  and  seemed  glad  to  find  a  friend 
at  the  end  of  his  journey,  for  he  recognized  this  sister 
and  remembered  her  when  she  had  visited  in  Cleveland. 
He  soon  proved  to  be  a  dog  of  rare  instincts,  seeming 
always  to  know  what  people's  intentions  were,  as  he 
would  allow  certain  persons  to  enter  the  house  and  not 
others,  and  did  not  make  friends  with  everyone.  He 
was  gentle  with  the  little  girl  and  went  everywhere 
with  the  family. 

"  One  day  a  man  came  to  the  door  and  asked  for 
food.  Although  Prince  growled,  sister  gave  the  man 
something  to  eat.  In  some  way  the  stranger  learned 
she  was  alone  in  the  house,  whereupon  he  demanded 
that  she  give  him  money,  and  Prince  seeing  his  threat- 
ening attitude  sprang  at  him  and  bit  him  very  severely. 
The  tramp  shook  the  dog  off  and  backed  out  of  the 
house  kicking,  trying  to  keep  Prince  off.  Poor  Prince ! 
his  faithfulness  cost  him  his  life,  for  he  was  found 
poisoned  a  few  days  later,  and  though  he  took  every 


180       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

remedy  offered  to  help  his  sufferings,  he  never  recov- 
ered." 

Sagacity  of  Animals  has  this  pathetic  story  of  a 
faithful  dog:  "A  French  merchant  having  some 
money  due,  set  out  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  his 
dog  to  receive  it.  Having  settled  the  business,  he  tied 
the  bag  of  money  before  him,  and  began  to  return 
home.  His  faithful  dog,  as  if  he  entered  into  his 
master's  feelings,  frisked  round  the  horse,  barked,  and 
jumped,  and  seemed  to  share  in  his  joy.  The  mer- 
chant, after  riding  some  miles,  alighted  to  repose  him- 
self under  a  pleasant  shade,  and  taking  the  bag  of 
money  in  his  hand,  laid  it  down  by  his  side  under  a 
hedge,  and  on  remounting,  forgot  it.  The  dog  per- 
ceived this  and  ran  to  fetch  the  bag;  but  it  was  too 
heavy  for  him  to  drag  along. 

"  He  then  ran  to  his  master,  and  by  crying,  barking 
and  howling,  seemed  to  remind  him  of  his  mistake. 
The  merchant  understood  not  his  language,  but  the 
faithful  creature  persevered  in  its  efforts,  and  after  try- 
ing to  stop  the  horse  in  vain,  at  last  began  to  bite  his 
heels.  The  merchant  thought  that  the  dog  had  gone 
mad.  Full  of  this  suspicion,  in  crossing  a  brook  he 
turned  back  to  look  if  the  dog  would  drink.  The 
animal  was  too  intent  on  his  master's  business  to  think 
of  itself;  it  continued  to  bark  and  bite  with  greater 
violence  than  before. 

'  Mercy ! '  cried  the  afflicted  merchant,  '  it  must  be 
so ;  my  poor  dog  is  certainly  mad ;  what  must  I  do  ?  I 
must  kill  him,  lest  some  greater  misfortune  befall  me ! ' 
With  these  words  he  drew  a  pistol  from  his  pocket. 
and  with  a  trembling  hand  took  aim  at  his  faithful 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  1 8 1 

servant.  He  turned  away  as  he  fired,  but  his  aim  was 
too  sure.  The  poor  animal  fell  wounded,  weltering  in 
his  blood,  still  endeavoring  to  crawl  towards  his  mas- 
ter. 

"  The  merchant  could  not  bear  the  sight ;  he  spurred 
on  his  horse  with  a  heart  full  of  sorrow.  Still,  how- 
ever, the  money  never  entered  his  mind;  he  only 
thought  of  his  poor  dog,  and  tried  to  console  himself 
with  thinking  that  he  had  prevented  a  great  evil  by 
dispatching  a  mad  animal.  '  I  am  most  unfortunate,' 
said  he  to  himself ;  '  I  had  almost  rather  have  lost  my 
money  than  my  dog.'  Saying  this,  he  stretched  out 
his  hand  to  grasp  his  treasure.  It  was  missing ;  no  bag 
was  to  be  found.  In  an  instant  he  opened  his  eyes 
to  his  rashness  and  folly.  Instantly  he  turned  his  horse 
and  went  off  at  full  gallop  to  the  place  where  he  had 
stopped.  He  saw  the  spot  where  the  sad  deed  was 
done;  he  saw  traces  of  blood  as  he  proceeded;  but  in 
vain  did  he  look  for  his  dog;  the  poor  creature  was 
not  to  be  seen  on  the  road. 

"  At  last  he  arrived  at  the  place  where  he  had 
alighted.  But  what  were  his  feelings !  His  heart  was 
ready  to  bleed;  he  cursed  himself  in  the  madness  of 
despair.  The  poor  dog  had  crawled,  all  bloody  as  he 
was,  to  the  forgotten  bag,  and  in  the  agonies  of  death, 
he  lay  watching  beside  it.  When  he  saw  his  master, 
he  still  testified  his  joy  by  the  wagging  of  his  tail. 
He  could  do  no  more;  he  tried  to  rise  but  his  strength 
was  gone.  He  stretched  out  his  tongue  to  lick  the 
hand  that  was  now  fondling  him  in  the  agonies  of 
regret.  He  then  cast  a  look  of  kindness  on  his  master 
and  closed  his  eyes  in  death." 


1 82       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Mrs.  Lee  in  her  Anecdotes  of  Animals  tells  of  a 
terrier  who  was  in  the  habit  of  going  with  his  master 
to  church,  and  remaining  so  quiet  that  few  knew  that 
he  was  present.  He  once  went  to  a  funeral  and  at 
the  grave  mingled  with  the  people,  so  that  he  did  not 
observe  the  departure  of  his  master,  the  clergyman. 
An  hour  later  the  sexton  appeared  at  the  house  of  the 
clergyman,  and  said  he  could  not  close  the  grave,  as 
the  terrier  fought  so  fiercely  when  the  dirt  was  thrown 
in,  that  it  was  impossible  to  go  on.  One  of  the  servants 
hastened  to  the  grave  and  saw  the  dog  in  a  perfect 
frenzy,  defending  it.  She  refused  to  leave  it,  so  by 
force  he  took  her  away  and  carried  her  home.  The 
moment  she  saw  her  master,  she  was  overwhelmed 
with  joy.  It  is  probable  that  not  seeing  him  go  away, 
she  thought  he  was  in  the  grave,  and  she  was  prevent- 
ing him  from  being  covered  up. 

Mrs.  Lee  quotes  this  story  from  Mr.  Bell :  "  My 
friend  was  traveling  on  the  continent,  and  his  faithful 
dog  was  his  companion.  One  day  before  he  left  his 
lodgings  in  the  morning,  with  the  expectation  of  being 
absent  till  the  evening,  he  took  out  his  purse  in  his 
room,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  he  had 
taken  sufficient  money  for  the  day's  occupation,  and 
then  went  his  way  leaving  the  dog  behind.  Having 
dined  at  a  coffee-house,  he  took  out  his  purse,  and 
missing  a  louis  d'or,  searched  for  it  diligently,  but  to 
no  purpose.  Returning  home  late  in  the  evening,  his 
servant  let  him  in  with  a  face  of  sorrow,  and  told  him 
that  the  poor  dog  was  very  ill,  as  she  had  not  eaten 
anything  all  day,  and  what  appeared  very  strange,  she 
would  not  suffer  him  to  take  her  food  away  from  be- 


Faithfulness  of  Dogs  183 

fore  her,  but  had  been  lying  with  her  nose  close  to  the 
vessel,  without  attempting  to  touch  it.  On  my  friend 
entering  the  room,  she  instantly  jumped  upon  him, 
then  laid  a  louis  d'or  at  his  feet,  and  immediately 
began  to  devour  her  food  with  great  voracity.  The 
truth  was  now  apparent;  my  friend  had  dropped  the 
money  in  the  morning,  when  leaving  the  room,  and  the 
faithful  creature  finding  it,  had  held  it  in  her  mouth 
until  his  return  enabled  her  to  restore  it  to  his  own 
hands;  even  refusing  to  eat  for  a  whole  day,  lest  it 
should  be  out  of  her  custody." 

"  When  Jerome  Wendfeldt  and  family  reached  their 
farm  in  Pulaski  county,  Indiana,  to  which  they  had 
moved  from  Jasper  county,  they  found  their  seven- 
months-old  baby  missing.  The  little  one  had  been 
placed  in  charge  of  the  eldest  daughter,  who  had,  in 
turn  given  it  to  one  of  her  brothers  to  hold,  who  had 
placed  it  under  a  tree  in  a  basket. 

"  The  frightened  parents  started  back  after  the  child, 
and,  just  at  sunset  met  a  big  Newfoundland  dog  carry- 
ing a  basket,  which  he  set  down  at  the  feet  of  the 
anxious  mother.  He  lifted  the  cradle  quilt  with  his 
paw  and  disclosed  to  the  eyes  of  the  delighted  mother 
her  infant.  Then  the  poor  dog  sank  down  dead  from 
exhaustion."  He  had  saved  the  child,  but  at  the  ex- 
pense of  his  own  life. 


CHAPTER  X 
Dogs'  Love  of  Home 

THE  Elmira    (N.Y.)    Advertiser  gives  this  ac- 
count of  a  homesick  pointer : 

"  The  latest  native  of  Elmira  to  return 
from  the  '  sunny  South  '  is  a  valuable  pointer  that 
came  on  foot  all  the  way  from  South  Carolina  to  his 
home  in  this  city  because  he  was  homesick.  The  dog 
was  the  property  of  John  H.  Sullivan,  a  law  student. 
A  family  named  Bunn,  living  near  the  Sullivans,  on 
Kenyon  street,  who  had  been  friends  of  the  Sullivan 
family,  signified  their  intention  of  moving  to  South 
Carolina  to  live.  A  large  dog,  which  was  owned  by 
the  Sullivans,  spent  much  of  his  time  between  the  two 
houses,  sometimes  staying  for  days  at  a  time  with  one 
of  the  families  and  then  leaving  for  the  other  house 
suddenly  without  apparent  reason  for  his  departure. 

"  When  the  Bunns  moved  to  South  Carolina  they 
asked  the  Sullivan  family  to  give  up  their  interest  in 
the  dog,  so  that  they  could  take  him  with  them.  This 
was  agreed  to,  and  the  last  that  was  seen  of  the  dog 
in  Elmira  was  when  the  train  pulled  out  of  the  station 
with  the  dog  securely  tied  in  the  baggage  car. 

'  Three  months  later  the  Sullivan  family  heard  a 
strange  noise  at  the  door.  They  opened  it  and  were  as- 
tonished to  see  the  dog  which  they  had  given  to  the 
Bunn  family  several  months  ago  and  which  they  sup- 

184 


i.  QUEEN  A.,  FAWN-COLORED  GREYHOUND,  prize  winner,  owned  by 
Mr.  O.  R.  Cannon,  Shawnee,  Oklahoma. —  2.  CHAMPION  IRISH 
SETTER,  LORD  LISMORE,  winner  of  seventeen  first  prizes,  owned 
by  Mr.  J.  S.  Wall,  Auburn  Park,  111.,  and  said  to  be  worth  $20,000. 


Dogs'  Love  of  Home  185 

posed  was  miles  away.  The  joy  of  the  animal  to  find 
himself  among  his  friends  again  knew  no  bounds. 

"  He  was  so  weak  from  hunger  and  exhaustion  from 
the  long  journey  that  it  was  at  first  thought  he  would 
not  live.  The  animal's  feet  were  so  blistered  and 
swollen  that  after  he  had  been  home  an  hour  or  two 
he  could  not  walk.  What  route  the  animal  took  or 
how  long  he  had  been  on  the  way  is  not  known." 

The  New  York  World,  March  6,  1898,  gives  this 
account  of  a  dog  who  found  his  way  back  from  Chi- 
cago, to  New  York  state :  "  Hugo  Fenske,  of  Silver 
Creek,  Chautauqua  county,  started  for  the  Klondike 
two  weeks  ago.  He  took  a  pack  of  dogs  to  be  used  in 
hauling  the  supplies.  At  Chicago  one  of  the  dogs  was 
lost,  and,  although  diligent  search  was  made  for  him, 
he  could  not  be  found. 

"  The  other  day  Mrs.  Fenske  was  at  work  in  the 
house  of  some  friends  in  Forestville,  where  she  is  mak- 
ing her  home  during  her  husband's  absence.  She 
heard  a  scratching  at  the  door,  opened  it,  and  in 
bounded  the  missing  dog." 

Many  of  the  poor  dogs  have  died  in  this  eager  rush 
for  gold,  as  have  their  masters.  Forced  away  from 
their  homes,  their  grief  has  been  as  great  as  though 
they  were  human  beings.  The  San  Francisco  Chroni- 
cle tells  of  a  dog  who  having  been  sold  by  his  owner, 
refused  to  walk  the  plank  into  the  vessel.  He -was 
finally  induced  to  go  by  his  master,  but  just  as  the 
steamer  was  about  to  start,  the  handsome  Newfound- 
land leaped  from  the  deck  into  the  bay  and  swam  to  the 
shore.  The  man  who  had  bought  him  clamored  for  the 
dog,  and  dripping  with  water,  he  was  taken  back  to  the 


1 86       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

vessel,  much  against  his  will.  When  tied  securely,  he 
whined  piteously,  as  though  heart-broken  to  leave  his 
home  and  former  owner.  It  was  a  sad  sight  to  the 
spectators,  who  wondered  how  a  man  could  be  induced, 
even  by  dire  necessity,  to  part  with  such  a  devoted 
creature. 

Rover,  a  Newfoundland  dog  owned  by  Thomas 
McCarthy,  in  Harlem,  very  intelligent  and  an  excel- 
lent guard,  disappeared  and  was  mourned  by  the  fam- 
ily as  dead.  One  evening,  after  two  years,  Rover  re- 
turned, to  the  surprise  and  delight  of  all.  The  only 
clue  to  his  place  of  abode  during  his  absence,  was  the 
name  on  his  collar,  E.  N.  Ward,  Easton,  Pa. 

A  clerk  in  the  War  Department,  tells  in  the  Cleve- 
land Press,  February  4,  1898,  this  story  of  a  toad,  and 
similar  incidents  might  be  given  of  perhaps  all  domes- 
tic animals: 

"  One  of  the  best-known  residents  of  Herndon,  Va., 
had  and  has  a  pet  toad  which  he  has  kept  about  his 
place  for  several  years.  The  toad  follows  him  about 
his  farm,  and  although  toads  generally  do  their  trav- 
eling at  night  time,  this  toad  is  active  at  nearly  all 
hours  of  the  day  as  well. 

"  Some  time  since  he  decided  to  give  the  toad  to  a 
friend  who  resides  in  Washington.  The  toad  was  care- 
fully boxed  up  and  taken  in  the  cars.  In  less  than  two 
weeks  afterward  the  toad  surprised  its  former  owner 
by  appearing  on  the  farm  at  Herndon,  having  traveled 
all  the  way  back.  To  do  this  it  had  either  to  swim 
the  Potomac  or  cross  over  the  aqueduct  or  long  bridge. 
If  anyone  doubts  the  story  we  can  show  him  the  toad. 


Dogs'  Love  of  Home  187 

Its  toenails  were  completely  worn  off  by  the  long  dis- 
tance traveled,  over  ten  miles." 

Mr.  Strachey,  in  Dog  Stories  quotes  the  following 
from  H.  C.  N.  in  the  Spectator :  "  My  uncle,  a 
well-known  chairman  of  the  Bench  of  Magistrates  in  a 
western  county,  had  a  tenant  on  his  estates  who  occu- 
pied a  farm  not  far  from  the  River  Severn.  The 
farmer  possessed  a  favorite  dog  who  slept  at  the  foot  of 
his  bed  every  night.  When  a  brother  emigrated  to 
Canada,  the  farmer  gave  him  the  dog  as  a  traveling 
companion.  In  the  course  of  time  the  news  arrived 
that  the  emigrant  and  his  family,  together  with  the 
dog,  had  safely  reached  their  destination  on  a  farm 
in  the  interior  of  Canada  some  days'  journey  from  the 
port  where  they  landed.  At  a  later  date  the  brother  in 
Canada  wrote  to  his  family  in  England  that  the  dog 
had  disappeared.  Sometime  afterwards  the  dog  came 
back  to  the  farm  of  his  old  master,  about  three  miles 
from  Gloucester,  and  though  at  first  it  could  hardly  be 
believed  that  he  was  returned  from  Canada,  yet  he  soon 
established  his  identity  by  taking  his  old  place  at  the 
foot  of  his  master's  bed  at  night.  Inquiries  were  made. 
and  the  dog's  course  was  traced  backwards  to  the 
River  Severn,  thence  to  Bristol,  and  thence  to  a  port 
in  Canada.  It  appeared  that,  after  running  from  his 
home  in  Canada  to  the  seaport,  he  selected  there  a 
vessel  bound  for  Bristol,  and  shipped  on  board.  After 
arriving  at  the  Bristol  basin,  he  found  out  a  local 
vessel  trading  up  and  down  the  River  Severn  (locally 
called  a  'trow  '),  and  transferred  himself  to  her  deck. 
When  he  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Gloucester,  the 


1 88       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

dog  must  have  jumped  into  the  Severn,  and  had 
reached  the  shore  nearest  to  his  old  home.  1  knew  the 
farm  well  and  the  farmer  who  occupied  it." 

Mrs.  Lee,  in  her  Anecdotes  of  Animals,  tells  of  a 
setter  which  belonged  to  her  father,  which  was  taken 
in  a  dogcart  fifty  miles  to  London.  The  carriage  was 
so  constructed  that  Flush,  the  dog,  could  not  have  seen 
any  part  of  the  road.  When  they  reached  London, 
the  groom  tied  the  dog  in  the  yard  of  the  inn,  where 
the  master  was  to  spend  the  night.  In  the  morning  the 
rope  was  found  severed  and  the  dog  gone.  They  felt 
sure  from  his  value  that  he  had  been  stolen.  Late  that 
evening  Flush  appeared  at  his  own  home,  wet,  dirty 
and  hungry,  with  the  rope  hanging  to  his  neck.  He 
was  tenderly  cared  for,  and  the  joyful  news  of  his  safety 
was  conveyed  to  his  master  by  letter,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  Detroit  Journal  has  this  incident  from  Calumet, 
Mich.,  December  30,  1898:  "  About  a  year  ago  a  man 
was  here  and  collected  a  carload  of  large  dogs  for  the 
Klondike,  taking  them  from  here  to  Seattle,  where  they 
were  sold  to  intending  gold-seekers. 

"  Among  the  dogs  that  were  taken  was  one  belong- 
ing to  Jerry  H.  Murphy  of  Caledonia  street.  He  was 
a  large  St.  Bernard  and  a  very  intelligent  animal.  The 
last  time  the  dog  was  heard  of  was  in  Seattle,  and  that 
was  a  year  ago. 

'  Yesterday  the  dog  wandered  into  Mr.  Murphy's 
back  yard  and  proceeded  to  make  himself  right  at 
home.  Mr.  Murphy  did  not  recognize  the  dog  at  first, 
but  when  the  latter  showed  that  he  knew  his  former 
master,  Murphy  found  that  it  was  his  old  St.  Bernard. 


Dogs'  Love  of  Home  189 

"  How  the  animal  managed  to  get  back  from  Seattle 
is  likely  to  remain  a  mystery." 

Our  Dumb  Animals  gives  this  incident  from  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  January  3,  1898:  "John  Flannery  of 
Elliott  county  was  here  yesterday  and  savs  that  a 
dog,'  weary  and  footsore,  has  just  arrived  at  his  house 
from  Kansas.  He  says  the  dog  was  the  property  of  a 
family  named  Graves,  who  lived  on  his  farm,  but  re- 
cently moved  to  Kansas,  carrying  the  dog  with  them. 
A  letter  from  Mr.  Graves  shows  that  the  dog  had  trav- 
eled about  700  miles.  How  he  found  his  way  and 
obtained  food  on  the  journey  no  one  can  tell." 

"  Not  long  since  Mrs.  B ,"  says  the  Loursville 

Courier-Journal,  "  residing  in  one  of  the  interior  coun- 
ties of  Missouri,  left  her  home  on  a  visit  to  some  rela- 
tives living  in  Henry  county,  in  this  state,  bringing 
with  her  a  favorite  dog.  On  arriving  in  this  city  she 
missed  her  pet,  and  search  and  inquiry  failing  to  elicit 
aught  concerning  him,  she  was  compelled  to  continue 
her  journey  without  him.  Fourteen  days  after  the 
lady  had  left  her  home  the  family  were  surprised  at 
the  reappearance  of  '  Fido.'  whom  they  thought  '  bay- 
ing the  moon  '  in  far  off  Kentucky. 

"  Not  less  than  900  miles  had  been  traveled  by  his 
dogship.  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  he  had  been 
brought  hither  by  rail,  and  could  have  had  no  trail 
to  lead  him  back  to  his  old  quarters — that  the  broad 
Ohio  and  the  still  broader  Mississippi,  not  to  mention 
hundreds  of  streams  of  smaller  proportions,  lay  between 
him  and  his  puppyhood's  home,  the  journey  was  a 
remarkable  one ;  and  as  such  must  ever  distinguish  this 
'  dumb  brute '  as  a  remarkable  dog." 


190       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

The  New  York  Times,  May,  1899,  te^s  tne  story  of 
a  little  dog  of  Orvis  Abbott,  a  boy  of  eighteen,  who  went 
with  his  family  in  1843  from  Monroe,  in  Northwestern 
Ohio,  overland,  a  distance  of  several  hundred  miles  to 
the  Kalamazoo  region  in  Michigan.  Orvis  was 
drowned  in  the  autumn,  and  his  dog,  Fido,  deeply  at- 
tached to  his  young  master,  after  a  time  disappeared. 
Some  weeks  later  he  appeared  at  the  old  Abbott  home 
in  Ohio,  more  dead  than  alive  from  hunger  and  ex- 
posure. He  was  tenderly  cared  for,  and  lived  there  till 
he  died. 

John  Saal  of  St.  Louis  gave  a  Scotch  terrier  to  a 
friend  in  Chicago.  Six  weeks  later  it  was  found  at  Mr. 
Saal's  door,  having  made  its  way  alone  from  Chicago 
to  St.  Louis. 

The  New  York  Times,  May  10,  1899,  has  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  A  man  in  Sydney,  Cape  Breton,  had  a  big  dog 
which,  for  certain  reasons,  he  wished  to  find  a  new 
home  for;  so  he  gave  him  to  the  captain  of  a  steamer 
that  was  going  across  to  Liverpool.  The  dog  was 
placed  on  board  the  ship  at  Sydney  and  safely  taken 
away.  About  three  months  later  he  turned  up  again 
one  morning  at  his  old  home,  scratching  at  the  door  and 
barking  with  every  evidence  of  delight  to  see  his  origi- 
nal master  again.  Exactly  how  he  returned  was  not  dis- 
covered for  some  time,  and  was  the  strange  part  of 
the  story.  The  day  after  he  got  back  he  was  trotting 
along  the  street  beside  his  master  when  a  seafaring  man 
questioned : 

"'That  your  dog?' 

"  '  Used  to  be/  said  the  old  owner.     '  Mystery  to 


Dogs'  Love  of  Home  1 9 1 

me  how  he  got  back  here,  though.     I  sent  him  to  Liv- 
erpool.' 

"  '  Liverpool?  Why,  he  came  from  St.  John's,  New- 
foundland, on  my  schooner — just  arrived  here  a  few 
days  ago.  He  came  on  board  at  St.  John's  just  before 
we  left,  and  wouldn't  be  put  on  shore.  When  we  got 
here  he  disappeared.  Sure  the  vessel  he  left  here  on 
didn't  go  to  St.  John's  instead  of  Liverpool?  " 

'  Positive.      She  arrived  at  Liverpool   in   regular 
time  from  here,  more  than  two  months  ago.' 

"  Some  time  afterward  the  steamer  by  which  the 
dog  had  crossed  the  ocean  again  visited  Sydney,  and 
the  captain  said  that  immediately  upon  arrival  at  Liver- 
pool the  dog  had  deserted,  but  his  steward  thought  he 
had  seen  the  animal  a  few  days  later  on  board  a  bark 
that  was  to  sail  for  Newfoundland.  The  only  inference 
is  that  the  dog,  being  unable  to  find  a  vessel  in  Liver- 
pool direct  back  for  Sydney,  took  the  next  best  thing 
and  shipped  on  the  bark  for  St.  John's,  from  which  port 
he  knew  he  could  often  get  a  chance  to  get  to  his  old 
home.  When  the  story  was  told  in  St.  John's  the 
further  fact  developed  that  the  dog  had  come  across 
on  a  bark,  from  which  he  deserted  immediately  upon 
arrival,  and  had  hunted  around  the  wharves  until  he 
found  a  schooner  for  Sydney.  How  did  he  do  it  ?  " 

A  writer  in  the  New  York  Times,  April  6,  1899, 
says: 

"  I  had  a  dog  that  was  born  and  brought  up  at  Long 
Branch.  When  three  years  of  age  a  friend  of  mine 
who  was  visiting  me  took  such  a  fancy  to  the  animal 
that  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  I  gave  the  dog  to  him. 
We  came  by  boat  the  next  morning  to  New  York,  the 


192       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

dog  accompanying  us — the  first  time  he  had  ever  left 
his  home.  My  friend  lived  in  Plainfield,  N.  J.  He 
took  the  dog  to  his  home  there. 

"  One  night,  about  a  week  afterward,  I  was 
awakened  by  a  low  mournful  yelp,  followed  by  a 
scratching  sound  on  my  front  porch.  I  arose  from 
bed  and  went  down,  to  the  porch,  where  lo,  and  behold ! 
I  found  the  poor  beast  nearly  dead  from  fatigue  and 
hunger,  with  a  gunshot  wound  in  his  side.  How  he 
ever  found  his  way  from  Plainfield  to  Long  Branch 
I  am  unable  to  state.  It  certainly  was  instinct.  The 
wound  was  probably  the  hospitable  reception  that  some 
farmer  gave  him  when  the  poor,  hungry  animal  sought 
for  food  or  shelter." 


CHAPTER  XI 
Dogs  Commit  Suicide 

THE  New  York  World  tells  of  several  instances 
where  dogs  have  committed  suicide,  through 
grief,   or  persecution :     "A  new   grave  was 
decorated  yesterday  in  New  Durham,  N.  J.,  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  for  many  years  Memorial  Day  will  be 
symbolized  in  the  family  of  Frank  Hall,  the  coal  man, 
by  the  strewing  of  flowers  on  the  mound  beneath  which 
sleeps  the  headless  body  of  Nero,  the  dog  suicide. 

"  All  New  Durham  knows  that  Nero  did  commit 
suicide,  for  New  Durham  knows  what  a  serious,  sensi- 
tive dog  Nero  was,  and  how  he  could  not  brook  the 
humiliation  of  a .  beating.  And  not  an  engineer  or 
trainman  on  the  West  Shore  railroad  to  whom  the 
sight  of  the  magnificent  Newfoundland  racing  beside  a 
train  or  giving  it  a  lordly  greeting  as  it  passed  could 
be  brought  into  the  ranks  of  the  disbelievers. 

"  '  Why,  that  animal  knew  as  much  about  a  train  as 
the  best  man  alive,'  said  the  trainmen.  '  He  was  per- 
fectly familiar  with  them  with  the  familiarity  born  of 
years'  acquaintance.' 

"  '  Suicide?  '  said  the  engineer  of  the  4:15.  '  Why, 
it  was  as  plain  a  case  of  suicide  as  you  ever  heard  of. 
I  felt  just  as  bad  as  if  I  had  struck  a  man.  It  took 
all  the  nerve  out  of  me. 

"  '  There  he  lay  across  the  track,  his  neck  resting 


194      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

on  a  rail.  He  had  never  done  such  a  thing  before. 
He  had  raced  so  often  beside  the  tracks  that  he  knew 
the  fearful  suction  and  power  of  a  train.  But  that  was 
not  all.  When  I  blew  the  whistle  and  whanged  the 
bell  in  a  desperate  attempt  to  scare  him  off  the  track 
that  dog  just  turned  and  looked  at  me.  I  saw  him  lick 
his  lips,  just  as  a  man  in  such  circumstances  might  have 
done,  and  in  his  eyes  there  was  a  look  of  sadness, 
coupled  with  determination,  which  was  unmistakable. 
His  tail  never  quivered  as  the  engine  approached.  He 
was  steeled  for  the  death  stroke.  As  I  saw  him  going 
under  the  pilot  I  shut  my  eyes  and  groaned.  I  could 
not  help  it.  It  seemed  as  if  I  could  feel  the  pilot 
wheels  cutting  off  that  shaggy  head.' 

"  All  other  evidence  pointed  the  same  way.  The 
dog's  conduct  after  Mr.  Hall  whipped  him  for  tearing 
the  dress  of  little  May  Hall  in  play ;  the  way  he  shunned 
the  society  of  his  little  mistress  and  her  companions; 
his  silence  and  abstraction  and  loss  of  appetite,  were  all 
direct  and  irrefragible  evidence  of  the  deadly  purpose 
that  was  forming  in  the  canine  mind.  The  cause  was 
there,  the  effect,  the  conduct.  Nero  committed  sui- 
cide." 

'  Tip,  a  Scotch  collie,  the  pride  of  Harrison,  N.  Y.," 
says  the  World,  for  January,  1899,  "  committed  sui- 
cide. He  had  been  the  night  watchman  and  fire  alarm 
for  the  village  for  seven  years,  and  was  the  only  protec- 
tion against  burglars.  He  had  no  regular  home,  but  all 
the  summer  residents  petted  him.  He  would  meet  their 
carriages  morning  and  evening  and  accompany  them 
to  and  from  the  station.  When  the  people  returned 
to  the  city  for  the  winter  he  became  despondent,  and 


Dogs  Commit  Suicide  195 

was  not  seen  for  several  days.  Then  he  appeared  at 
the  railroad  station,  and  when  the  Boston  express  was 
heard  approaching,  lay  down  on  the  track.  The  engi- 
neer whistled,  but  the  collie  would  not  hear.  His  body 
was  thrown  high  in  the  air." 

At  the  Dog  Show  in  Mechanics'  Hall,  Boston,  some 
years  ago,  there  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  collies 
I  have  ever  seen.  I  shall  never  forget  his  brown  eyes. 
sensitive  face,  and  alert,  responsive  manner.  He  was 
valued  at  either  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  I 
learned  afterwards  that  not  liking  the  keeper  of  his  ken- 
nel, who  had  chided  him,  when  he  was  let  out  to  drink, 
he  went  into  the  pond  or  lake  nearby,  would  not  return, 
and  deliberately  drowned  himself,  by  holding  his  head 
under  water. 

Rex,  a  Gordon  setter,  says  the  World  of  May  30, 
1899,  drowned  himself  at  Fort  Hamilton.  He  was 
three  years  old,  and  valued  at  $300.  He  had  taken 
twelve  prizes  at  shows.  He  was  carried  by  his  owner 
to  his  summer  home  at  Fort  Hamilton,  and  while  there 
was  kicked  and  his  ears  pulled  by  some  boys  who  de- 
served imprisonment  for  such  conduct.  The  dog,  not 
used  to  such  brutal  treatment,  bit  one  of  them.  The 
boy  screamed  and  a  private  watchman  kicked  Rex  on 
the  head.  He,  too,  was  bitten  in  return  for  the  kick. 
Then  firing  his  revolver,  and  joining  the  cruel  boys 
and  others  in  pursuit,  all  rushed  after  the  poor  crea- 
ture. Trembling  at  the  repeated  insults,  and  half 
crazed  with  fright,  Rex  threw  himself  into  the  water, 
did  not  try  to  swim,  and  soon  sank  from  sight. 

Many  a  dog  is  driven  to  suicide  by  an  ignorant, 
noisy  crowd  that  should  be  dispersed  by  the  police.  A 


196       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

beautiful  collie  got  mixed  up  with  the  crowd  at  the 
foot  of  Broadway,  Williamsburg,  in  June,  1898,  says 
the  World.  He  was  frightened  at  the  noise,  and  ran 
from  place  to  place,  searching  for  his  master.  Then 
some  cruel  person  cried  "  Mad  dog,"  and  men  and 
women  fled  in  every  direction.  "  Some  of  the  men 
kicked  him.  This  excited  the  dog  more  and  more. 
He  started  down  Kent  avenue  at  a  mad  gallop  to  get 
away  from  his  torturers.  Half  a  thousand  of  them  fol- 
lowed screaming,  '  Mad  dog ! '  and  throwing  things  at 
him. 

"  Up  Division  avenue  the  poor  collie  turned,  the 
crowd  close  behind.  The  open  door  of  the  power  sta- 
tion of  the  trolley  line  seemed  to  afford  shelter.  The 
collie  scampered  up  the  stone  steps  and  then  turned  to 
see  if  the  crowd  were  still  after  him.  It  was  close  at 
hand,  twice  as  numerous  as  when  it  started. 

"  The  dog  walked  into  the  power-house,  stopping 
every  second  or  two  to  listen  to  the  music  of  the  dyna- 
mos. Then  he  stopped  in  front  of  the  big  flywheel 
and  watched  it  make  its  lightning  revolutions. 

"  The  advance  guard  of  the  crowd  burst  through  the 
door  yelling  '  Mad  dog ! '  The  collie  made  a  flying 
leap  into  the  whirling  flywheel  and  in  an  instant  was 
ground  to  death. 

"  One  of  the  workmen  who  had  come  up  to  pat  the 
dog  turned  upon  the  crowd  and  said : 

'  You  fools,  you  drove  a  good  dog  to  suicide/  ' 

Rev.  Chas.  Josiah  Adams,  the  well  known  writer  and 
lover  of  dogs,  tells  this  sad  story : 

"  An  engineer  owned  a  dog  to  which  he  was  very 
much  attached.  The  dog  had  but  one  grave  fault — a 


Dogs  Commit  Suicide  197 

certain  Bohemian  impulse,  which  took  him  away  from 
home  at  times — in  which  self-given  vacations  he  would 
generally  spend  three  or  four  days.  After  such  an 
absence  his  master  first  scolded  him  and  then  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  him,  repulsing  coldly  all  his 
advances.  The  dog  seemed  overwhelmed  with  despair, 
heart-broken.  Though  he  was  about  it  a  great  deal  he 
was  mortally  afraid  of  machinery  in  motion.  He  made 
one  last  effort  to  propitiate  his  master.  It  failed. 
Then  he  rushed  among  some  rapidly  revolving  wheels, 
and  attained  what  he  wanted — death." 

The  Youth's  Companion  gives  a  similar  case: 

"  Sir  George  Ouseley  gives  a  remarkable  instance  of 
a  similar  sensitiveness  displayed  by  a  monkey.  The 
animal  was  a  pet  of  the  captain  and  a  favorite  with 
the  whole  crew  of  the  man-of-war  which  took  Sir 
George  out  as  ambassador  to  Persia,  but  like  all  his 
species,  was  full  of  mischief. 

"  One  morning  the  monkey  lashed  the  ship's  goat  to 
the  tackle  of  a  gun,  and  milked  her  into  a  stiff-glazed 
marine  hat.  The  captain,  who  caught  him  in  the  very 
act,  gave  orders  that  for  a  week  no  one  should  pet  the 
monkey  or  in  any  way  take  the  slightest  notice  of 
him. 

"  The  monkey  went  about  wistfully  seeking  the  at- 
tentions to  which  he  had  been  accustomed,  but  none  of 
his  old  friends  had  a  word  or  look  for  him.  His  most 
coaxing  and  engaging  airs  failed  to  attract  the  least 
attention. 

"  For  two  days  he  bore  his  punishment,  but  on  the 
morning  of  the  third,  finding  himself  in  disgrace,  he 
sprang  upon  the  bulwarks,  and  placing  both  hands  over 


198       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

his  head,  gave  one  pitiful  cry,  and  then  leaped  into  the 
sea,  and  was  seen  no  more. 

"  Such  exquisite  sensitiveness  on  the  part  of  dumb 
animals  certainly  constitutes  a  powerful  claim  on 
human  sympathy,  and  entitles  them  to  kind  and  con- 
siderate treatment  at  the  hands  of  those  to  whom  they 
offer  their  loyal  affection." 

"  Down  Pell  street,"  says  a  New  York  paper,  "  to- 
ward the  Bowery  came  ten  or  twenty  ragamuffins  ar- 
rayed in  all  the  fantastic  garments  that  they  usually  put 
on  to  celebrate  Thanksgiving  Day,  when  with  masks 
over  their  faces  and  tin  horns  in  their  mouths  they  blow 
lustily  into  the  ears  of  the  weary  Italian  fruit  venders 
and  demand  some  apples  or  a  handful  of  chestnuts. 

"  But  the  crowd  that  rushed  down  Pell  street  about 
four  P.  M.  yesterday  was  particularly  agitated.  It  was 
pursuing  no  Italian  who  had  failed  to  accede  to  its 
demands.  Just  before  the  urchins  ran  a  dog,  a  stag 
hound,  with  long  shaggy  gray  hair  and  a  noble  head. 
His  body  "Vas  emaciated  and  he  limped  painfully. 
Stones  and  broken  tin  horns  were  thrown  at  the  dog; 
occasionally  they  hit  him.  Then  the  brute  would  turn, 
roll  back  his  heavy  lips,  and  show  his  teeth,  growl  in 
deep  tones  and  snap  at  the  nearest  of  his  pursuers. 

'  The  boys  would  pause  and  some  in  the  front  rank 
would  fall  over  those  behind  in  order  to  get  out  of  the 
way.  When  the  dog  resumed  his  way  with  head  and 
tail  down  the  boys  shouted  and  missiles  flew  thicker 
than  ever.  When  one  struck  the  mark  the  same  scene 
was  repeated. 

"  Just  as  the  dog  reached  the  middle  of  the  Bowery  a 
large  stone  struck  him  in  the  side.  He  howled  dis- 


Dogs  Commit  Suicide  199 

mally  and  blood  gathered  at  his  nostrils.  But  he 
turned  and  growled  as  before,  and  the  crowd  made 
hasty  retreat  to  the  sidewalk. 

"  The  dog  was  standing  between  the  rails  of  the 
cable  track.  A  car  was  approaching  rapidly.  He 
ceased  to  growl  and  turned  his  great  brown  eyes  from 
the  crowd  and  regarded  the  car  as  it  came  on.  There 
was  almost  human  anguish  in  that  look.  He  bowed 
his  head  and  the  car  passed  over  him  and  crushed  him." 
Where  were  the  police,  that  they  did  not  stop  such  a 
brutal  crowd,  and  save  a  helpless  dog  ? 

Lucy,  a  high  bred  water  spaniel  sold  by  her  owner, 
Mr.  Morgan  Miller  of  Butler,  Ohio,  to  a  man  in  Col- 
umbus, Ohio,  traveled  back  to  her  home,  130  miles 
distant,  and  broken  hearted  because  she  had  been  sold, 
refused  to  eat,  and  hung  herself  on  a  sharp  picket  fence, 
in  February,  1901. 

A  family  in  Bartonsville,  Vt,  moved  to  Tacoma, 
Washington,  and  left  their  collie  with  friends.  The 
dog  become  dejected,  stretched  himself  across  the  track 
as  he  heard  a  train  of  cars  approaching,  and  was  killed, 
evidently  by  his  own  desire. 

"  A  sad  suicide  has  recently  occurred  at  Biarritz," 
says  the  Boston  Herald.  "  The  story  would  scarcely 
be  believed  had  it  not  been  witnessed  by  a  number  of 
people  who  were  walking  on  the  quay.  It  seems  the 
puppies  of  a  little  terrier  had  been  taken  from  her, 
and  three  times  did  the  poor,  despairing  mother  try  to 
throw  herself  into  the  sea.  Each  time  she  was  recov- 
ered, but  it  was  evident  that  she  intended  to  die,  for,  at 
length  escaping  from  her  rescuers,  she  threw  herself  for 
the  fourth  time  into  the  water  and  held  her  head  under 


2oo       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

until  she  drowned.  The  spectators  were  deeply  moved 
by  the  sight,  and  someone  cried  out  that  the  poor  crea- 
ture be  given  back  one  of  the  pups,  but  it  was  then  too 
late.  The  mother  was  no  more." 

"  Such  things  do  happen,"  says  Geo.  T.  Angell,  in 
Our  Dumb  Animals  for  August,  1898.  "  We  have  not 
only  read  of  many  well  proved  cases  but  once  witnessed 
one  where  a  dog  deliberately  committed  suicide." 

In  July,  1897,  Matt  Madison  of  Burlington,  Iowa, 
was  drowned.  His  dog  Tip  was  with  him,  and  refused 
to  leave  the  spot.  When  the  body  was  recovered  the 
dog  guarded  it,  and  moaned  and  howled  in  the  greatest 
distress.  After  the  burial,  the  dog  went  to  places  fre- 
quented by  his  master,  searching  in  vain  for  him. 
Finally,  he  ran  up  to  a  clubroom  where  Madison  often 
went,  hurried  to  the  flat  room  above,  where  the  sky- 
light was  open  for  air,  ran  backwards  and  forwards 
along  the  roof,  and  then  leaped  to  the  brick  paved  street 
below.  His  back  was  broken,  and  people  who  had 
sadly  watched  his  leap,  put  him  out  of  misery.  He 
and  his  master  had  been  inseparable,  and  the  parting 
had  crazed  him  or  broken  his  heart. 

The  well-known  author,  Izora  Chandler,  tells  a  piti- 
ful story  "The  Goodby  of  Wiggins."  The  little 
brown  and  white  water  spaniel  had  been  a  pet  until  a 
rich  cousin  came  to  the  home  to  spend  a  week,  and 
brought  his  big  St.  Bernard.  Unmeaningly,  the  little 
dog  was  neglected,  though  he  tried  in  every  way  to 
keep  the  attention  and  affection  of  the  family.  Finally 
he  went  away,  and  the  big  dog  tried  to  follow,  but  was 
forbidden.  He  did  not  return,  and  at  last  the  family 
searched  for  him.  And  this  is  what  they  heard : 


Dogs  Commit  Suicide  201 

"  A  cyclist  who  was  resting  by  the  road  at  the  edge 
of  the  wood  saw  a  pretty  brown  spaniel  come  slowly 
down  the  road.  It  walked  with  difficulty,  though  it 
did  not  seem  to  be  really  lame.  The  silky  ears  trailed 
along  in  the  dust.  It  went  directly  to  the  swift  stream 
and  swam  until  the  current  caught  it,  when  it  seemed 
to  arouse  and  began  a  struggle  with  the  waves.  After 
a  brisk  fight  the  spaniel  won,  swam  swiftly  to  shore, 
and  started  back  up  the  road. 

"  After  going  only  a  little  way  it  stopped  and  stood 
still  for  a  minute  or  two,  as  if  in  deep  thought.  Then 
it  raised  its  head,  gave  one  long,  piercing  howl,  turned, 
ran  swiftly  back,  swam  to  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
and  before  the  cyclist  could  interfere,  had  yielded  itself 
up  to  be  carried  by  the  swift  water  and  hurled  over  the 
falls  into  the  whirlpool  below. 

"  It  was  so  strange  a  thing  that  the  cyclist  told  it  to 
the  keeper  of  the  little  country  tavern  where  he  stopped 
to  lunch.  In  this  way  it  came  to  be  known  to  Wig- 
gins' family. 

"  They  sat  down  and,  with  guilty  faces,  they  talked 
about  those  last  days.  They  remembered  his  going 
about  to  them  all  that  morning.  And  they  realized  that 
he  was  saying  a  heartbroken  goodby. 

"  They  remembered  also  what  the  St.  Bernard  did. 
And  they  knew  that  the  big  dog  understood  something 
of  the  pity  of  it;  and  that  he,  probably,  would  have 
explained  in  his  dog  language  and  have  persuaded 
little  Wiggins  not  to  go. 

"  And  they  were  all  very  sorry  for  their  thoughtless 
unkindness.  But  being  sorry  did  not  bring  back  Wig- 
gins." 


CHAPTER  XII 
Intelligence  of  Dogs 

CAPTAIN  GRANLAIN,  of  a  big  lake  vessel  has 
a  dog  named  Bert,  who  is  an  excellent  seaman. 
Recently  the  steamer  was  going  along  Lake 
Huron,  slowly,  in  a  dense  fog,  the  whistle  blowing, 
and  every  eye  directed  ahead,,  to  escape  a  dreaded  col- 
lision. Soon  the  dog,  who  had  been  looking  as  earn- 
estly as  the  others,  with  his  feet  on  the  bulwarks, 
bounded  to  the  captain  and  barked  most  earnestly.  The 
captain  ordered  the  engineer  at  once  to  "  reverse,"  and 
the  helm  was  thrown  to  port,  just  in  time  to  avoid  an 
immense  passenger  boat.  Had  the  dog  not  seen  the 
danger,  both  vessels  probably  would  have  gone  to  the 
bottom. 

'  That  dog  is  the  greatest  sailor  on  the  lakes,"  said 
the  captain.  "  He  always  keeps  my  watch  with  me  and 
cannot  be  induced  to  leave  the  deck  forward  or  the 
bridge  where  I  may  chance  to  be.  His  eyes  are  far 
superior  in  power  of  vision  to  human  optics.  Next 
summer  when  I  get  time  I'm  going  to  teach  him  the 
compass,  and  then  I  may  be  able  to  utilize  him  at  the 
wheel.  I  think  he  would  make  an  excellent  pilot." 

A  history  of  the  mascots  on  board  our  ships  would 
be  most  interesting.  In  the  dreadful  explosion  of  the 
Maine  before  Havana  on  Tuesday  night,  February  15, 
1898,  when  nearly  300  men  were  killed,  and  removed 

303 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  203 

from  Cuba  and  buried  at  Arlington  Cemetery,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1899,  two  of  the  three  cats  belonging  to  the 
sailors,  perished,  but  Tom,  thirteen  years  old,  who  has 
been  on  many  ships,  and  beloved  by  all  the  seamen,  was 
saved  as  by  a  miracle.  He  was  asleep  three  decks  down, 
or  nearly  thirty  feet  below  the  upper  deck.  In  the  con- 
fusion and  agony  of  dying  men,  nobody  thought  of 
Tom,  but  the  next  morning  he  was  discovered  crying 
piteously  on  that  part  of  the  wreck  which  remained 
above  water.  Commodore  Wainwright  first  discovered 
him,  and  hastened  to  take  him  off  in  a  boat  to  the 
Fern,  where  he  received  a  hearty  welcome. 

Captain  Sigsbee's  little  pug  dog  Peggy  was  asleep 
in  the  Captain's  stateroom  at  the  time  of  the  explosion. 
The  ship  was  in  darkness,  but  Peggy  made  her  way  to 
the  deck,  and  when  the  captain's  boat  was  lowered, 
she  was  found  standing  where  she  had  been  taught 
to  stand  when  that  particular  boat  was  let  down.  She 
was  trembling  with  fright  as  she  was  young  and  had 
never  seen  service,  but  in  the  horrors  of  that  night  she 
could  find  her  way  to  her  master's  boat. 

Naval  history  abounds  with  incidents  about  animals, 
and  the  devotion  between  them  and  the  brave  soldiers, 
officers  or  crews.  The  Cleveland  Leader,  August  21, 
1898,  recounts  this  incident  of  devotion : 

"  Two  pet  dogs,  Vulcan  and  Diana,  of  the  old  Lan- 
caster, will  go  down  in  naval  history  as  the  principals 
in  a  heroic  and  rather  pathetic  incident.  The  Lancaster 
was  flagship  of  the  European  station  at  the  time,  and 
she  was  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Ville,  France.  A  party 
of  the  young  officers  of  the  ship  had  gone  up  to  Monte 
Carlo,  and  it  was  while  several  of  them  were  return- 


204       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

ing  at  night  that  one  overheard  a  shrill  snapping  and 
growling  beyond  some  bushes  on  the  edge  of  a  road 
just  outside  of  the  town. 

"  Their  curiosity  aroused  the  cadets  pressed  forward 
just  as  two  rough-looking  men  darted  from  the  bushes. 
Chase  was  made  at  once,  but  the  fugitives  managed 
to  escape  in  the  darkness.  Hurrying  back  to  the  bushes 
the  American  officers  found  the  body  of  a  richly  dressed 
young  man  stretched  out  upon  the  ground,  and  crouch- 
ing over  him,  feebly  growling,  were  two  handsome 
dogs.  They  had  evidently  fought  valiantly  for  their 
master,  and  were  covered  with  wounds.  It  turned  out 
that  the  young  man  was  the  son  of  a  noble  house  of 
France,  and  that  he  had  won  a  considerable  sum  on 
the  tables  that  night,  only  to  lose  it  and  his  life  at 
the  hands  of  the  two  thieves.  The  two  dogs  were 
presented  to  the  Lancaster  by  his  relatives,  and 
they  became  prime  favorites  with  officers  and  soldiers 
alike." 

The  London  Telegraph,  October,  1899,  tells  of  the 
dog  "  Smiler  " : 

"  One  of  the  most  popular  characters  on  the  rock  of 
Gibraltar  is  no  more.  '  Smiler,'  for  that  was  the  name 
of  the  garrison  guard-room  dog,  broke  his  leg  so  badly 
through  slipping  on  a  rock  that  he  had  to  be  shot  to 
put  him  out  of  his  agony.  The  little  dog  was  at  home 
in  all  the  guard-rooms  on  the  frontier,  and  would  some- 
times patronize  one,  sometimes  another.  Smiler  was  a 
great  pet,  both  with  officers  and  men.  He  constituted 
himself  as  extra  sentry,  kept  on  '  sentry-go  '  all  through 
the  night,  and  could  hear  the  field  officer  of  the  day 
approaching  long  before  the  human  sentry  could.  He 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  205 

always  attended  guard  mounting  parade,  and  there 
selected  the  guard  that  he  would  favor  with  his  pres- 
ence for  the  next  twenty-four  hours." 

In  the  war  between  England  and  the  Boers,  in  spite 
of  prohibition,  the  soldiers  smuggled  their  pets  on 
board  the  transports.  The  regimental  dog  of  the 
"  Fighting  Fifth  "  went  to  the  war  by  official  permis- 
sion, however.  He  distinguished  himself  by  his  gal- 
lantry at  the  battle  of  Omdurman,  charging  over  the 
field  with  his  regiment  and  barking  furiously  at  the 
rushing  dervishes.  The  dogs  of  the  Boers  caused  a 
defeat  for  Colonel  Plumer.  On  his  march  south  to 
Mafeking,  a  surprise  attack  on  the  Boers  at  Crocodile 
Pools  was  frustrated  by  the  barking  of  the  Boer  dogs, 
which  summoned  the  Boers,  and  they  repulsed  the  at- 
tack, killing  several  of  the  British. 

"  Queen  Victoria  decorated  a  dog  with  her  own 
hands,"  says  the  Cleveland  World,  April  23,  1900. 
"  The  recipient  thus  honored  was  Bob  of  the  Second 
Royal  Berkshires,  and  the  occasion  the  return  of  the 
regiment  from  the  Afghan  campaign  of  1879,  in  which 
the  dog  had  taken  part,  having  been  wounded  at  Mai- 
wand.  Bob  met  his  death  by  being  run  over,  but  his 
portrait  will  go  down  to  posterity  as  the  dog  shown 
in  the  celebrated  picture,  '  The  Stand  of  the  Last  Eleven 
at  Maiwand/ 

"  A  dog  with  a  Victoria  cross  seems  hardly  possible, 
but  an  imitation  of  small  size  was  made  for  Jack,  the 
Guards'  dog,  who  saved  the  life  of  a  soldier  at  the 
battle  of  the  Alma,  and  who  literally  fought  at  Inker- 
man,,  where  several  Russians  fell  before  its  fierce  on- 
slaught. After  the  war  it  received  the  Crimean  medals, 


206      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

as  well  as  the  cross,  and  had  the  honor  of  being  intro- 
duced to  the  Queen. 

"  Sandy,  a  dog  of  the  Royal  Engineers,  was  an- 
other Crimean  veteran  whose  services  were  recognized 
by  a  medal,  but,  unfortunately,  both  it  and  a  second 
one  which  was  provided  were  stolen  from  the  animal's 
neck  by  some  persons  whose  sense  of  honor  must  have 
been  much  less  than  that  possessed  by  Sandy  himself. 

"  Tiny  of  the  army  service  corps  went  through  the 
Egyptian  campaign  of  1882,  including  Tel-el  Kebir, 
where  it  was  wounded  in  the  foot,  and  duly  received  the 
Egyptian  medal  and  khedive's  star.  It  died  at  Alder- 
shot  in  1896  after  being  run  over — it  is  strange  how 
many  of  these  animals  escape  the  perils  of  the  battle- 
field to  die  by  accident  at  home — and  its  stuffed  body 
may  still  be  seen  at  Aldershot. 

"  Paddy  of  the  Fifteenth  Hussars  is  a  fox  terrier 
which  was  similarly  honored  for  Egyptian  service,  and 
possesses  in  addition  the  distinction  of  having  been 
born  on  the  battlefield  of  Abu  Klea.  and  of  having  taken 
part  in  the  charge  made  at  Suakim  by  his  regimental 
masters." 

"  Pat's  picture  was  in  the  Royal  Scottish  Academy," 
says  Chambers'  Journal, "  representing  him  as  a  smooth- 
coated  little  tyke.  He  was  of  nondescript  breed,  but 
of  great  intelligence  and  well  versed  in  the  perform- 
ance of  tricks.  He  had  a  traveled,  eventful  history. 
One  master  was  killed  in  action;  but  a  brother  officer 
adopted  the  quaint  white  mongrel  as  his  special  charge. 
Pat  was  in  an  Afghan  campaign,  which  proved  fatal 
to  another  regimental  dog,  John  Harrison,  a  retriever. 
John  often  followed  his  master,  the  Colonel,  through 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  207 

Edinburgh's  gray  streets.  The  heat  on  his  last  foreign 
service  was,  however,  too  much  for  him;  and,  on  the 
march  to  Kandahar,  John  was  shot  for  fear  he  should 
lag;  and  rests,  like  many  another  warrior,  in  a  grave 
where  a  Briton  had  laid  him.  Pat,  being  small  and 
short-haired,  withstood  the  Indian  heat.  He  went  with 
his  second  master  to  Egypt ;  but,  the  glare  of  the  sands 
threatening  to  impair  his  already  failing  sight,  the 
four-footed  veteran  was  sent  home  on  sick  leave.  He 
never  rejoined  his  Highlanders;  but,  by  special  desire, 
when  he  died  at  his  Midlothian  retreat  he  was  rolled  in 
the  coat  the  soldiers  had  made  for  him  of  their  regi- 
mental tartan,  and  buried  in  the  well-tended  niche  in 
the  crown  of  the  City  of  the  Winds." 

The  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat  tells  of  Harry,  the 
shepherd  dog  of  Troop  K,  who  went  to  Tampa  and 
from  there  to  Santiago,  in  the  late  Cuban  war.  During 
the  fight  on  San  Juan  hill,  the  dog  was  seen  back  in 
the  creek,  lying  in  the  water,  protected  by  a  high  bank. 
When  the  bullets  whistled  over  him  he  crouched  lower 
in  the  water,  and  thus  saved  himself  from  harm.  The 
mascot  of  the  Sixth  Cavalry  was  a  fine  bulldog  who 
was  badly  wounded  in  the  jaw,  and  his  case  for  a  time 
seemed  hopeless.  The  men  were  ordered  to  leave  their 
pets  behind,  when  they  returned  from  the  war,  a  hard 
order  for  those  who  had  suffered  so  much,  but  it  was 
obeyed.  A  man  from  the  Third  Cavalry  was  detailed 
to  act  as  clerk  at  General  Wheeler's  headquarters.  He 
managed  to  smuggle  the  dog  Harry  on  board  the 
Olivette,  so  he  got  safely  back  to  Montauk  Point,  and 
home  again  with  the  men  whose  dangers  he  had  shared. 

Mr.  Thomas  Bisket,  says  the  New  York  Herald, 


2o8       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

April,  1899,  a  druggist  of  Norwich,  Conn.,  has  a  large 
Newfoundland  dog,  Leon,  who  belonged  to  General 
Linares,  in  command  of  the  Spanish  forces  at  San- 
tiago, at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  The  dog  was  born 
in  Barcelona,  Spain,  and  brought  to  Cuba  when  a 
puppy,  by  the  General.  He  became  a  great  pet  of  the 
men,  and  saw  much  fighting  between  the  Spaniards  and 
Cubans,  during  the  eight  years  he  was  in  Cuba.  When 
the  Spanish-Amerjcan  war  came  the  dog  was  at  the 
front  with  his  master,  on  San  Juan  hill  when  the  shells 
burst  around  him.  He  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life, 
while  the  General  was  severely  wounded.  "  When  the 
Spanish  commander  was  borne  off  the  field  on  a  litter 
the  faithful  dog  trotted  alongside,  whining  piteously, 
now  and  then  casting  wistful  glances  at  his  suffering 
master,  and  once  or  twice  tenderly  licking  his  out- 
stretched hand.  While  the  General  was  in  the  field 
hospital  Leon  never  tired  of  watching  him.  It  was 
impossible  for  any  one  to  approach  the  wounded  man 
without  being  challenged  by  the  dog,  who  seemed 
clearly  to  understand  what  had  happened  and  to  be 
eagerly  awaiting  his  master's  recovery." 

The  General  gave  Leon  to  a  friend,  as  he  was  obliged 
to  return  to  Spain,  an  invalid,  and  later  he  was  given 
to  Mr.  Bisket,  who  is  very  fond  of  him.  "  You  should 
have  seen  him,"  said  Mr.  Biskit,  "  however,  when  the 
first  snow  fell.  He  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it. 
He  squatted  on  the  ground  on  his  haunches,  drew  the 
snow  up  to  him  between  his  big  paws  and  rubbed  at  it 
as  if  he  would  thoroughly  sample  it  and  find  out  what 
this  strange  substance  was.  Snow  was  a  deep  mystery 
to  the  dog  that  had  passed  all  its  life  in  the  tropics. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  209 

And  the  serious,  puzzled  expression  in  his  intelligent 
eyes  while  he  investigated  was  something  more  droll 
than  I  can  describe." 

The  New  York  Times  of  the  summer  of  1898  tells 
this  story  of  a  setter  dog  named  Rose : 

"  When  the  boys  were  out  at  infantry  drill  Rose  took 
her  place  in  front  of  the  company,  with  a  small  log  of 
wood  in  her  mouth,  and  led  the  way,  apparently  famil- 
iar with  the  meaning  of  every  order  that  was  given 
by  the  officers.  Lieutenant  Harrison  said :  '  From  the 
day  we  got  her  here,  about  a  month  ago,  Rose  has 
evinced  the  deepest  interest  in  the  drills.  She  now  re- 
sponds to  all  orders  issued  to  the  men  with  remarkable 
sagacity.  Just  wait  until  you  see  what  she  does  when 
"  taps  "  are  sounded/ 

"  When  Musician  Krause  played  the  plaintive  notes 
which  mean  '  Go  to  bed,'  Rose,  who  had  been  trotting 
up  and  down  the  pier,  suddenly  made  for  the  gang 
plank  and  went  on  board. 

"  Then  she  trotted  to  her  bed  on  the  lower  deck  and 
lay  down  with  a  yawn." 

Joe,  a  fox  terrier,  marked  with  black  and  tan  patches, 
is  the  property  of  Color  Sergeant  King,  of  the  First 
Staffordshire  Regiment.  When  his  master  goes  from 
Litchfield  to  Birmingham  to  attend  a  football  match 
and  leaves  his  dog  at  home,  Joe  presents  himself  at  the 
station  and  plainly  indicates  that  he  wishes  a  ticket. 
He  is  supplied  with  one,  enters  the  proper  train,  gets 
off  at  Birmingham,  goes  to  the  field  and  finds  his 
master.  He  knows  the  names  of  the  players,  and  is 
helpful  in  the  game  himself.  He  will  hold  a  penny 
on  his  nose  till  the  word  "  three  "  is  mentioned,  when 


2io       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

he  catches  it  in  his  mouth,  and  proceeds  to  make  a 
purchase  with  it.  He  does  not  respond  to  any  other 
number.  He  has  been  presented  with  a  gold  medal 
by  the  friends  of  Sergeant  King,  and  wears  it  attached 
to  his  collar. 

Dogs  can  be  trained  so  that  their  abilities  seem  al- 
most human.  Nine  Great  Danes,  descendants  of  those 
in  the  Hartz  mountains  and  throughout  Germany  who 
used  to  hunt  the  wild  boar,  march  like  soldiers,  dance 
on  their  hind  legs,  wrestle  with  their  keepers,  and  make 
great  leaps.  They  have  great  strength  and  are  gentle 
and  faithful.  When  a  lion-tamer  goes  into  a  cage,  he 
often  takes  a  Great  Dane  with  him  for  protection. 

"  In  attempting  to  cross  Euclid  avenue  at  Sheriff 
Street  late  yesterday  afternoon,"  says  the  Cleveland 
Leader,  April  8,  1900,  "  Aurela  Rodriguez,  a  cigar- 
maker,  of  No.  623  Superior  street,  was  caught  between 
two  street  cars  and  was  badly  injured  internally.  He 
was  taken  in  J.  &  W.  Koebler's  ambulance  to  the 
Cleveland  General  Hospital. 

"  When  the  call  for  the  ambulance  was  received  at 
the  office  of  J.  &  W.  Koebler,  Caesar,  a  large  Great 
Dane  dog,  who  generally  accompanies  the  ambulance 
when  it  is  out  on  business,  was  locked  up  in  the  office. 
As  the  ambulance  left  the  barns  the  dog  became  ex- 
cited, and  wanted  to  follow  it.  No  one  paying  any 
attention  to  his  barkings,  the  dog  suddenly  made  a  rush 
for  the  front  window,  which  is  of  plate  glass,  and 
jumped  through  it.  He  then  ran  after  the  ambulance 
and  seemed  proud  of  the  feat  he  had  performed." 

"  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  Moore,  of  Evans- 
ton>  has  a  dog  named  Sport,  which  will  wear  a  license 


"  Bio    FOUR."  —  2.  TED,    A    TRICK    Don,  standing  with    the  "Big 
Four,"  all  owned  by   Mr.   James   Christie,   Escanaba,   Mich. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  211 

tag  the  rest  of  his  life  as  a  reward  for  meritorious 
services,"  says  a  Chicago  correspondent  of  the  Wash- 
ington Times.  "  A  week  ago  Sport  was  practically  con- 
demned to  death,  his  owner  thinking  him  not  worth 
$2.25  as  a  license  fee.  Yesterday  Mr.  Moore  was  lean- 
ing over  a  catchbasin  in  the  street  and  dropped  his 
wallet,  containing  considerable  money  and  some  papers. 
into  the  sewer.  He  hastened  to  the  mouth  of  the  sewer, 
and  when  the  wallet  came  out  the  dog  swam  out  into 
the  lake  after  it,  captured  it  a  hundred  yards  from 
shore,  and  returned  it.  Mr.  Moore  thinks  the  dog  has 
earned  the  right  to  live." 

Mr.  James  Christie,  Escanaba,  Mich.,  among  many 
valuable  dogs  has  the  "  Big  Four,"  a  Newfoundland, 
weighing  174  pounds,  a  brother  named  Claudy,  181 
pounds,  and  one  of  the  finest  pacing  dogs  in  the  world, 
a  St.  Bernard  named  Tip,  176  pounds,  and  a  brother 
named  Top,  172^/2  pounds.  "  The  Big  Four,"  Mr. 
Christie  writes  me,  "  are  the  best  driving  dogs  in  the 
state.  I  can  always  make  eighteen  miles  an  hour  with 
them,  and  can  drive  within  an  inch  of  anything  I  wish 
to  stop  at.  They  are  good  natured,  and  when  out  of 
their  harness  are  full  of  play,  but  while  harnessed  are 
just  the  opposite." 

His  dog  "  Ted  "  is  called  the  most  remarkable  dog 
in  the  state.  He  sells  cigars  for  a  large  Chicago  house. 
The  Gentry  Brothers  offered  Mr.  Christie  $1,000  for 
him,  which  was  refused.  An  Exchange  says  :  "  Aside 
from  his  numerous  '  impromptu  '  tricks,  '  Ted  '  has 
one  which  solely  originated  with  Mr.  Christie,  and  it 
is  this  one  that  has  made  the  dog's  fame  world  wide. 
In  this  trick  some  127  blocks  are  used,  containing  all 


212       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  figures  from  i  to  10  and 
many  words.  With  these  he  will  spell  words  and 
answer  questions  asked  by  his  master,  and  that  without 
a  slip.  He  will  tell  you  the  name  of  any  large  city 
between  Milwaukee  and  Calumet  more  readily  than  the 
average  traveling  man. 

"  At  the  Arlington  Hotel  '  Ted  '  went  through  part 
of  his  work  and  astonished  some  thirty  of  the  '  lobby- 
ists '  by  his  phenomenal  performances.  In  answer  to 
the  question  '  Which  is  the  best  hotel  in  Calumet  ? ' 
'  Ted  '  bounded  off  and  brought  back  the  block  upon 
which  was  printed  '  The  Arlington.' 

"  Old  Boz  the  famous  and  world-renowned  Scotch 
collie,  is  dead,"  says  the  Chicago  Inter-Ocean.  "  That 
simple  sentence  will  cause  many  a  regret  to  thousands 
of  hearts,  even  if  Boz  was  only  a  dog. 

"  He  was  better  known  than  thousands  of  men  that 
think  themselves  eminent.  He  once  slept  in  Windsor 
Castle  and  was  petted  by  Queen  Victoria.  The  Prince 
of  Wales  offered  $5,000  for  him  after  witnessing  his 
marvelous  tricks. 

'  The  dog  walked  through  the  Vatican.  He  was 
entertained  by  the  President  of  France,  the  Czar  of  the 
Russias,  King  Oscar  of  Norway  and  Sweden.  In 
fact,  he  had  been  to  almost  every  foreign  court  and 
had  received  the  attention  of  dignitaries  in  every  de- 
partment of  life's  activity  in  this  and  other  lands. 
President  Cleveland  stroked  his  shaggy  coat  in  the 
White  House. 

"  Boz  died  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  a  few  days  ago, 
and  the  intelligence  was  conveyed  to  George  B.  Gas- 
son,  No.  50  Bryant  street,  this  city.  He  belonged  to 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  213 

D.  H.  Harris  the  stock  breeder  at  Mendon,  Mich.,  and 
was  fourteen  years  of  age  at  his  death. 

"  The  dog  was  never  on  public  exhibition,  but  was 
the  traveling  companion  of  his  owner,  who  took  su- 
preme delight  in  showing  the  animal  to  his  friends. 

"  The  dog  could  select  any  card  in  the  deck  when 
told,  and  if  it  was  not  there  a  whine  would  follow.  He 
could  distinguish  between  colors  as  well  as  a  human 
being.  More  wonderful  than  all,  he  could  count 
money,  make  the  proper  change  to  an  exact  cent.  If 
told  to  bring  $31.31,  or  any  sum  from  coins  of  various 
denominations,  he  would  do  so  without  a  mistake. 

"  When  told  to  walk  like  a  baby,  he  would  creep 
along  the  floor  and  imitate  a  child  to  perfection.  He 
could  pretend  he  was  lame  and  walk  most  pitiably. 
Boz  would  also  wash  his  feet,  or  any  one  foot  as  di- 
rected. He  would  bring  any  object  that  he  could  carry 
when  sent  after  it.  When  once  told  a  person's  full 
name  he  never  forgot  it,  but  would  always  deliver  a 
letter  or  package  to  that  very  individual  at  any  place  he 
had  ever  visited.  Boz  had  often  been  in  Chicago.  He 
was  once  at  a  circus  on  Sixty-third  street  with  his 
owner,  and  he  grew  tired  and  came  back  to  the  Sherman 
House  where  they  were  stopping,  and  went  to  the  room 
that  had  been  assigned  to  them. 

"  When  he  was  once  taken  to  a  place  he  always  re- 
membered it  and  would  return  to  it  if  sent  on  an  er- 
rand. Many  persons  who  have  crossed  the  sea  on  the 
same  vessel  as  the  dog  will  recall  his  wonderful  feats 
performed  on  deck  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sailors'  Relief 
Fund.  Mr.  Harris  had  often  refused  $10,000  for  the 
truly  wonderful  animal. 


214        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Boz  leaves  just  as  wonderful  a  descendant,  she 
being  Bozzie,  owned  by  Mrs.  George  B.  Classon,  No. 
50  Bryant  street.  The  daughter  in  some  respects  ex- 
cels her  sire.  She  cannot  be  puzzled  in  any  arithmeti- 
cal problem  in  addition,  subtraction,  multiplication, 
division,  or  a  combination  of  two  or  more  of  these 
processes  in  whole  numbers  under  twenty.  She  gives 
results  by  barks  and  never  makes  a  mistake.  Several 
persons  can  hold  pieces  of  paper  with  numbers  on  before 
her.  She  looks  at  each  one.  designates  the  units  by  so 
many  barks,  and  at  the  close  will  add  the  entire  series 
and  give  the  result  by  the  required  number  of  barks. 
Bozzie  will  also  tell  the  time  of  day  in  hours  by  barks. 
She  will  go  to  any  room  in  the  house,  upstairs  or  down, 
and  bring  any  article  which  she  is  bidden." 

The  New  York  World,  March  31,  1900,  has  the 
following : 

"  Bozzie,  a  famous  educated  collie,  was  buried  to-day 
with  much  ceremony.  Fifty  school  children  attended 
the  funeral.  Bozzie  had  always  shown  an  eagerness 
to  perform  for  them  and  they  surrounded  the  coffin  and 
strewed  flowers  upon  it. 

"  Mrs.  Classon,  who  owned  the  dog,  and  whose  insep- 
arable companion  she  had  been  for  years,  had  the  body 
placed  in  a  silk-lined  white  casket  and  wrapped  in  the 
silk  coverlet  which  had  long  been  her  covering  at 
night.  On  the  top  of  the  casket  was  a  silver  plate  with 
this  inscription: 

BOZZIE, 

Born  Jan.  17,  1895, 

Died  March  28,  1900, 

FROM  BEING  MALICIOUSLY  POISONED, 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  215 

"  The  dog  could  count,  find  hidden  articles,  and  do 
all  the  tricks  known  to  dog  wisdom." 

Elizabeth  Nunemacher,  of  New  Albany,  Ind.,  says 
in  the  Chicago  Record : 

'  Bab  '  is  a  fox  terrier  that  counts  as  her  very  own 
that  portion  of  the  world  immediately  about  her.  She 
is  a  quick  and  reasoning  animal,  and  displays  traits 
which  are  strongly  human.  Recently,  she  became  the 
proud  mother  of  two  roly-poly  puppies,  white,  with  a 
few  black  spots  scattered  upon  their  tight  coats. 

"  One  morning  Matilda  came  in  from  the  kennel 
with  the  information  that  one  of  the  little  ones  was 
dead  and  the  other  one  nearly  so.  A  relief  corps  at 
once  visited  the  kennel  and  the  surviving  puppy  was 
brought  into  the  house.  A  few  drops  of  stimulant 
were  forced  between  his  lips  with  great  difficulty.  Then 
a  small  hot  water  bottle  was  placed  against  the  lit- 
tle stomach,  which  seemed  unnaturally  hard  and 
swollen.  Next  he  was  placed  snugly  in  an  old  fruit 
basket  with  a  scrap  of  blanket,  and  developments 
awaited. 

"  Poor  Bab  was  heart-broken.  She  followed  the 
ministering  angels  into  the  house.  Placing  her  sensi- 
tive nose  under  the  chin  of  her  sick  infant,  she  wailed 
mournfully  and  long.  She  was  tenderly  comforted, 
advised  to  bear  up,  be  brave,  and  so  forth.  After  a  time 
Matilda,  observing  that  the  water  was  cooling,  took 
the  bottle  away  to  be  refilled.  To  this  Bab  objected 
strongly.  But  when  she  saw  Matilda  returning  with 
the  bottle,  she  trotted  nimbly  toward  her  and  offered  to 
take  the  bottle  in  her  mouth.  Matilda  let  her  have  it, 
,  wonderingly.  Bab  at  once  went  to  the  basket  and  awk- 


2i 6        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

wardly  poked  the  bottle  again  under  the  small  invalid's 
stomach. 

"  The  puppy  rapidly  recovered.  Its  improved  con- 
dition was  evident  to  Bab,  for  she  disappeared  and  re- 
turned, tenderly  carrying  the  dead  puppy.  It  was 
clearly  her  desire  that  it,  too,  should  receive  treatment. 
But  the  plump  little  body  was  beyond  help. 

"  After  a  time,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  other 
nurses,  Bab  climbed  upon  a  chair  with  the  sick  puppy. 
But  they  waited  to  see  what  she  would  do.  Then  she 
made  a  second  trip  to  the  basket  and  brought  the 
water-bottle  to  the  chair.  The  small  fruit  basket  had 
hampered  her  in  cuddling  her  baby,  but  upon  the 
chair  she  formed  a  happy  group — mother,  sick  puppy 
and  hot  water  bottle,  in  close  and  comfortable  conjunc- 
tion." 

Dick,  a  mongrel,  seemingly  a  mixture  between  a 
Yorkshire  and  French  poodle,  performs  wonderful 
tricks.  He  turns  somersaults,  rolls  a  barrel  across  the 
stage  of  a  theatre,  keeps  step  to  music,  and  dives  into 
a  net  from  a  platform  75  feet  above  the  stage,  climbing 
to  the  platform  on  a  common  stepladder.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  many  performing  animals  are  taught 
through  fear  and  harsh  measures,  although  tricks  are 
sometimes  performed,  evidently  with  a  desire  to  please 
a  master  whom  they  love. 

A  writer  in  the  Louisville  Courier-Journal  in  a  pa- 
thetically true  manner  thus  describes  the  "  tricks  of  a 
tramp  dog."  "  He  pays  no  attention  to  men,  while 
boys  he  only  watches  warily  for  stones  and  clods  for 
which  he  was  the  target  evidently  in  memory.  Let  a 
woman  pass  along,  however,  and  he  is  all  alertness. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  217 

Trotting  along  with  her,  he  perks  his  head  aside  and 
says  as  plainly  as  a  dog  can : 

'  Look  here,  madam,  I  am  a  right  good  little  dog. 
Suppose  you  take  me  home  and  give  me  a  bath  and  a 
bone,  and  let  me  play  with  the  children.  I  am  lots  bet- 
ter than  I  look  to  be.' 

"  This  failing  to  elicit  any  answer  other  than  an  oc- 
casional '  Get  away,  you  ugly  little  beast !  '  he  plays 
another  card.  Scampering  into  the  street  he  returns 
with  a  twig  or  a  bit  of  paper  and  renews  the  conver- 
sation. 

"  '  Just  look  at  me  a  moment,  please,'  he  says.  '  Don't 
you  see  I  am  a  smart  dog?  I  can  carry  a  twig  in  my 
mouth.  The  children  will  have  no  end  of  sport  with 
me  if  you  just  take  me  home.' 

"  So  he  persists  until  the  end  of  his  self-appointed 
beat  is  reached  and  the  woman  passes  on.  He  stops 
then,  disconsolate  and  disgusted,  dropping  his  air  of 
cheeriness  and  relapsing  into  a  plain,  uncouth  dog. 

"  Another  woman  comes  along  about  then,  however, 
and  hope  again  rises  within  him.  Time  after  time  he 
repeats  his  little  confidence  game,  but  so  far  with  the 
same  dispiriting  result.  He  is  working  hard  for  his 
rise  in  life.  He  deserves  it,  and  more  than  one  passei 
by  who  has  watched  him  day  after  day  hopes  that  he 
will  yet  gain  the  snug  quarters  he  deserves." 

Having  read  in  the  New  York  World  about  a  dog 
named  Ginger,  who  had  assisted  the  police  in  catching 
thieves,  and  the  newsboys  in  delivering  messages,  I 
wrote  to  his  present  owner,  Mr.  Henry  C.  Buchanan, 
New  Jersey  State  Librarian  at  Trenton,  and  received 
the  following  interesting  letter : 


2i 8        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"Feb.  22,  1900 
"  MY  DEAR  MADAM  : 

"  Ginger  is  a  reality,  and  is  known  to  more  Trentoni- 
ans  than  any  other  dog — or  person  probably — in  the 
city.  Apparently  he  is  a  cross  between  a  French 
poodle  and  a  setter  or  pointer — certainly  some  kind  of 
bird  dog.  His  poodle  pedigree  is  shown  in  his  head, 
but  he  has  the  most  beautiful  eyes  I  have  ever  seen,  and 
when  he  looks  into  one's  face  it  seems  as  though  he  was 
almost  human  and  knew  what  you  were  saying.  But 
he  does  not.  In  some  respects  he  is  very  intelligent, 
and  in  others  apparently  the  dumbest  dog  I  ever  saw. 
His  age  is  about  six  or  seven  years. 

"  He  is  large,  clumsy,  curly-haired,  black,  with  a  large 
white  '  vest.'  So  far  as  I  can  learn  anything  of  his 
antecedents,  he  appeared  several  years  ago  at  a  racing 
park  near  Trenton,  where  he  was  made  comfortable 
until  he  displayed  great  diligence  in  chasing  poultry. 
He  then  was  given  to  a  Trenton  man  who  lived  near 
St.  Mary's  Cathedral.  Here  he  developed  a  liking  for 
joining  in  the  angelus  call.  His  new  master  had  be- 
come accustomed  to  the  noise  of  the  bell,  but  could  not 
stand  the  barking  at  the  early  morning  call,  so  Ginger 
was  driven  away. 

"  For  a  time  in  the  summer  and  fall  he  wandered 
about  the  street,  apparently  delighting  in  lying  stretched 
out  in  the  center  of  the  pavement  near  the  most  crowded 
part  of  the  city,  where  his  size  prevented  men  from 
kicking  him  out  of  the  way,  while  ladies  and  children 
walked  around  him. 

"  In  the  winter  he  became  attached  to  the  boys  in  the 
District  Messenger  service,  who  harbored  him  at  their 
headquarters  and  occasionally  at  their  homes.  They 
were  glad  of  his  company  on  lonely  night  runs,  and 
Ginger  was  willing — and  is  now — to  go  with  them. 
I  was  then  news  editor  of  the  State  Gazette,  and  made 
Ginger's  acquaintance  during  his  calls  with  the  m£s- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  219 

senger  boys.  Then  be  began  escorting  the  reporters 
home  and  coming  back  for  me,  and  spending  wet  and 
cold  nights  in  the  editorial  rooms.  One  night  I  took 
him  home  with  me  and  fed  him,  and  be  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  members  of  my  family.  Since  then 
I  have  owned  him,  so  far  as  is  possible  without  a  title. 
I  have  found  him  in  my  tax  bills  and  have  willingly 
paid  for  him.  Muzzles  innumerable  I  have  bought  to 
keep  him  from  falling  into  the  dog-catcher's  hands. 
He  knew  so  many  boys,  and  had  such  a  way  of  appeal- 
ing to  them  to  be  relieved  of  his  muzzles,  that  it  was 
pretty  hard  to  protect  him — until  he  fell  into  the  dog- 
catcher's  hands  one  day.  The  boys  heard  of  it  first 
and  took  up  a  collection  and  redeemed  him.  Since 
then  there  has  been  little  trouble  about  keeping  him 
muzzled  during  the  '  close '  season  in  July,  August  and 
September. 

"  He  is  a  great  coward — the  French  poodle  strain. 
If  a  strange  dog,  large  or  small,  starts  for  him,  Ginger 
immediately  lies  down  on  his  side,  displaying  the  most 
abject  fear  and  cowardice.  If  he  sees  a  cat  on  the 
street,  he  starts  for  it  immediately  and  chases  it  to 
cover;  but  if  the  cat  stops  and  shows  fight,  Ginger 
runs  on  by,  apparently  unconcerned  and  as  though  he 
had  not  been  in  pursuit.  I  have  seen  a  two  months 
old  kitten  put  him  to  flight. 

"  His  bark  is  loud  and  angry,  and  he  rushes  fiercely 
to  the  door  when  any  one  enters  the  house,  but  so  far  as 
I  know  he  has  never  attempted  to  bite  any  one.  When 
let  out  on  the  street,  if  a  tramp  or  poorly  dressed  work- 
man is  in  sight,  Ginger  makes  a  rush  at  him,  but  makes 
no  demonstration  toward  a  well-dressed  person.  The 
only  person  who  fears  him  is  our  milkman.  Ginger 
knows  the  man  fears  him,  and  takes  delight  in  flying 
at  him  every  morning.  If  he  happens  to  be  on 
the  door-step,  he  starts  up  or  down  the  street  in 
fear,  the  milkman  01  -e  having  driven  him  away 
with  a  whip. 


220       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Frequently  he  has  accompanied  me  on  walks  in 
the  country,  and  never  fails  to  chase  the  half-grown 
brown,  red  or  speckled  chickens  we  may  chance  to  pass. 
I  have  watched  him  many  times,  and  have  never  known 
him  to  go  after  a  white  or  black  chicken,  or  one  full 
grown,  or  turkeys,  geese  or  ducks.  That  is  why  I 
believe  he  is  descended  from  some  breed  of  bird-hunt- 
ing dogs,  though  dog-fanciers  have  told  me  he  seemed 
to  be  part  Newfoundland,  judging  from  his  appear- 
ance. 

"  I  don't  believe  there  is  a  drop  of  Newfoundland 
blood  in  him.  I  have  seen  him  run  in  fear  from  a  two- 
weeks-old  calf,  from  horses  and  cows  innumerable — 
in  fact  when  we  chance  to  meet  a  cow  when  out  for  a 
walk.  Ginger  keeps  close  to  my  heels.  In  summers  I 
have  had  him  clipped  by  a  livery  man,  in  order  to  re- 
lieve him  of  the  annoyance  from  fleas  that  find  refuge 
in  his  heavy  curly  coat.  Then  I  had  a  boy  at  the  livery 
stable  give  him  an  occasional  bath  during  the  summer, 
as  it  was  impossible  to  get  Ginger  to  go  into  the  water 
voluntarily  for  a  bath.  After  his  first  clipping  and 
bath  he  would  not  follow  me  past  the  entrance  to  the 
livery  stable,  but  would  cross  the  street  invariably  be- 
fore we  reached  the  entrance,  and  rejoin  me  later. 
Twice  when  I  tried  to  coax  him  to  follow  me  in,  he 
went  into  a  neighboring  cigar  store,  from  which  he  was 
led  out  by  a  boy  with  a  rope.  After  that  he  would 
start  back  home  when  I  turned  in  the  entrance  to  the 
stable,  and  apparently  finding  from  experience  that  that 
did  not  save  him  from  a  bath,  he  has  refused  to  follow 
me  into  the  block  in  which  the  livery  stable  is  located, 
excepting  after  dark,  when  the  stable  is  closed. 

"  When  I  came  to  the  State  Library  a  year  ago, 
Ginger  came  with  me,  but  discontinued  his  visits  to  the 
library  last  summer,  excepting  when  I  come  by  some 
other  route  than  that  leading  by  the  stable.  At  first 
he  took  great  delight  in  riding  on  the  elevator  in  the 
Capitol  building,  and  would  make  two  or  three  trips 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  221 

at  a  time.  This  finally  became  a  nuisance  to  ladies 
and  children,  and  he  was  excluded. 

"  The  dog  has  lost  the  religious  turn  he  had,  and  now 
pays  no  attention  to  the  angelus  bells,  but  there  is  one 
particular  '  siren  '  whistle  that  blows  at  seven,  twelve, 
one  and  six  o'clock  that  he  recognizes,  and  adds  to  the 
noise  by  a  long-drawn  dismal  howl  whenever  he  hears 
it.  He  pays  no  attention  to  the  dozens  of  other  whis- 
tles on  the  factories,  but  whether  running  along  the 
street  or  half  asleep  in  the  house,  seldom  fails  to  add 
his  song  to  the  wail  of  the  siren.  I  think  he  has  been 
encouraged  in  this  by  my  boys,  whose  efforts  have 
overcome  those  of  my  wife  and  daughter  to  break  him 
of  the  habit.  A  threat  to  throw  a  few  drops  of  water 
on  him  will  usually  prevent  the  outbreak. 

"  Ginger's  worst  habit  is  the  chasing  of  trolley  cars 
and  wagons.  Several  times  he  has  been  struck  on  the 
head  and  shoulders,  and  received  bad  wounds,  but  he 
persists  in  the  practice  excepting  when  he  is  with  me. 
Often  he  has  started  for  a  wagon,  then  apparently  re- 
membering that  his  ears  had  been  boxed  for  it,  has 
stopped  and  come  crawling  back  toward  me;  at  other 
times  a  word  from  me  has  checked  him. 

"  Notwithstanding  he  barks  freely  and  loudly  on 
almost  all  occasions,  we  have  not  been  able  to  teach  him 
to  '  speak  '  when  he  wants  a  drink  of  water,  or  is  out- 
side the  house  and  wants  to  come  in.  When  thirsty  he 
will  go  to  the  kitchen  sink  and  knock  his  bowl  about 
with  his  fore  paws,  and  then  lie  stretched  until  some 
one  draws  water  for  him.  When  he  is  on  the  street 
and  is  ready  to  enter  the  house,  he  scratches  on  the 
front  door,  and  as  a  result  we  are  unable  to  keep  the 
lower  part  of  the  door  in  presentable  condition,  and 
when  he  keeps  late  hours  he  has  been  compelled  to  re- 
main out  all  night  because  no  one  heard  him  scratch 
on  the  door. 

"  Once  he  was  caught  by  the  dog-catcher,  and  re- 
membered it.  A  few  weeks  later  he  was  without  his 


222       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

muzzle,  and  the  dog-catchers  went  after  him  with  their 
nets  and  ropes.  A  policeman  who  saw  the  proceedings 
told  me  the  story.  Ginger  started  for  the  horse  of  the 
dog-catcher  and  barked  at  him  till  the  horse  started; 
then  the  dog  ran  behind  a  waiting  trolley  car,  and  per- 
mitted the  dog-catcher  to  chase  him  around  the  car 
two  or  three  times,  until  an  assistant  went  to  the  dog- 
catcher's  aid,  when  Ginger  ran  at  full  speed  down  the 
street  and  escaped.  It  is  the  only  time  I  have  known 
of  his  running  from  any  one  excepting  the  milkman. 
"  Very  truly  yours, 

HENRY  C.  BUCHANAN. 

Mr.  Buchanan  writes  me  of  another  dog: 

"  You  will  be  glad,  I  am  sure,  to  read  about  '  Frank/ 
whose  story  I  have  from  his  master,  Mr.  Horace  G. 
Hough,  who  is  a  thoroughly  veracious  gentleman,  and 
who  recounted  some  of  Frank's  doings  while  sitting 
in  a  store  recently.  Ginger's  presence  started  the  con- 
versation. Frank  died  a  year  or  so  ago. 

"  He  was  a  red  Irish  setter,  a  thoroughbred  from 
fancy  stock  owned  by  a  wealthy  New  York  friend  of 
the  Hough  family.  Mr.  Hough  obtained  him  as  a 
puppy,  and  his  training  for  the  performances  described 
was  altogether  accidental,  as  he  said.  When  he  wished 
to  smoke  in  the  evening  Mr.  Hough  usually  went  to  a 
small  shed  near  the  house,  with  Frank  for  company. 
To  amuse  himself  he  would  throw  articles  for  the  dog 
to  recover,  and  finally  began  to  use  his  keys  and  knife 
and  other  such  belongings.  Then  he  would  make  the 
dog  carry  the  article  to  some  other  person,  if  one  hap- 
pened to  be  around. 

"  One  day,  wishing  to  send  a  luncheon  to  the  men 
working  in  the  harvest  field,  Mr.  Hough  called  his  dog, 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  223 

and  placing  the  bale  of  a  tin  pail  in  his  mouth,  bade 
him  go  to  the  men  with  it,  pointing  in  the  direction  he 
was  to  go.  Frank  started  at  once  and  delivered  the 
luncheon,  notwithstanding  he  was  very  fond  of  the 
cookies  in  the  kettle  which  was  under  his  nose. 

"  Another  day  Mr.  Hough  was  driving  a  mowing 
machine,  and  missed  a  wrench  which  he  wanted  to  use 
to  tighten  one  of  the  nuts  on  the  machine.  He  re- 
membered having  used  it  half  an  hour  before,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  field,  and  calling  Frank,  bade  him  go 
in  search  of  the  wrench.  The  dog  started  back  around 
the  course  over  which  Mr.  Hough  had  driven,  and  soon 
came  running  across  the  field  with  the  iron  wrench  in 
his  mouth.  This  is  the  more  remarkable  when  it  is 
remembered  that  while  almost  any  dog  can  be  taught 
to  carry  wood  and  some  other  materials,  they  do  not 
care  to  set  their  teeth  against  iron. 

"  One  evening  Mr.  William  Hough  (now  dead) 
called  to  his  son  Horace,  and  asked  him  to  look  for 
his  gold  watch,  which  had  been  lost.  Mr.  Hough  said 
he  had  looked  all  over  in  the  places  he  had  visited, 
but  could  not  find  it,  and  offered  Horace  $10  if  he 
recovered  it.  '  I'll  get  it  if  it's  on  the  farm,'  replied 
Horace,  who  called  his  dog.  Horace  learned  that  his 
father  had  been  in  the  barnyard,  feeding  the  cattle,  and 
with  Frank  he  started  for  the  yard.  Here  the  dog  was 
set  at  work,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes  came  up  to 
Horace  with  the  watch,  the  chain  of  which  the  dog  had 
between  his  teeth.  In  order  to  recover  it,  he  had  to 
burrow  under  a  pile  of  corn  stalks  which  Mr.  Hough 
had  thrown  aside  in  the  stable  yard. 

"  On  another  occasion,    Mr.    Horace    Hough  was 


224       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

driving  from  Lawrenceville  to  his  home  in  Ewing 
township  in  the  evening,  when  a  shower  came  up.  It 
was  dark,  and  Mr.  Hough  started  to  pull  up  the  top  of 
his  buggy.  In  doing  so  the  ring  on  a  finger  on  his 
right  hand  came  off  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Mr.  Hough 
made  search  for  the  ring,  but  without  success.  Then 
he  drove  home,  and  calling  for  Frank  took  him  in  the 
buggy  and  drove  back  to  the  spot  where  he  had  lost 
the  ring.  Bidding  the  dog  '  hunt  it/  he  sat  waiting  for 
not  over  two  or  three  minutes,  when  Frank  jumped 
back  into  the  buggy.  Putting  his  fingers  into  the  dog's 
mouth,  Mr.  Hough  found  his  ring. 

"  These  stories  appear  to  me  to  be  too  wonderful 
almost  for  belief;  but  knowing  Mr.  Hough  as  I  do, 
I  would  no  more  doubt  them  than  I  would  if  I  had 
been  one  of  the  chief  actors.  The  stories  were  not  told 
to  me  in  a  spirit  of  boasting,  but  as  a  recital  by  one  man 
who  loves  dogs,  to  another. 

"  Perhaps  this  little  story  may  also  interest  you : 
About  the  time  that  Ginger  began  to  give  up  some  of 
his  tramp-habits,  he  had  as  a  companion  a  half-grown 
dog  of  apparently  shepherd  or  Scotch  collie  breed — a 
poor,  half-starved  animal,  so  timid  or  wild  that  he  would 
permit  no  one  to  touch  him.  Ginger  had  a  favorite 
habit  of  chasing  wagons  and  trolley-cars  in  the  streets, 
dodging  the  whips  of  the  wagoners  and  the  kicks  of 
the  car  conductors.  '  Shep '  soon  learned  to  do  the 
same  thing,  and  the  dogs,  with  their  barkings  and 
yelpings  would  keep  it  up  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time. 
One  day  Ginger  was  knocked  on  the  head  by  a  wagon 
or  car,  and  had  a  bad  wound  for  a  week  or  so.  That 
is  when  he  came  to  us.  When  he  had  recovered  he  re- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  225 

sumed  his  pastime  with  '  Shep/  and  one  day  '  Shep  ' 
was  not  quick  enough  and  a  trolley  car  took  off  the 
ends  of  the  toes  on  one  of  his  front  feet.  The  poor 
dog,  with  bleeding  foot  upheld,  went  yelping  through 
the  street,  and  soon  attracted  a  crowd  of  young  hood- 
lums, who  pursued  him  with  sticks  and  stones  and 
cries  of  '  mad  dog.'  A  policeman  joined  the  pursuit, 
but  '  Shep  '  escaped,  and  was  in  hiding  about  a  week. 
Going  home  about  two  o'clock  one  morning  I  saw  him 
in  a  corner,  and  as  I  had  established  a  sort  of  friend- 
ship with  him  before  he  was  hurt,  I  was  soon  able  to 
pat  him  on  the  head.  He  followed  me  home  and  re- 
mained there  a  day  or  two,  until  I  found  a  new  home 
for  him  with  J.  W.  Vernam,  a  farmer  in  Ewing  town- 
ship, who  is  also  a  milkman.  Mr.  Vernam  informs  me 
that  this  poor,  half-starved,  frightened  dog  has  de- 
veloped into  the  best  watch-dog  he  ever  saw ;  that  he 
will  permit  no  one  but  Mr.  Vernam  and  his  children  to 
put  their  hands  on  him — not  even  the  farm-hands  may 
touch  him;  no  tramp  dare  enter  the  yard,  though  any 
one  of  evident  respectability  may  enter  unnoticed;  and 
'  Shep  '  will  round  up  the  cows  and  bring  them  from 
the  field  at  a  word  from  his  master." 

Mr.  Charles  R.  Zacharias,  manager  of  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company  at  Asbury  Park,  New 
Jersey,  writes  me  of  an  intelligent  pet. 

"  The  little  dog  belongs  to  my  daughter  Marguerite 
and  is  a  Water  Spaniel  two  years  old.  I've  owned  a 
number  of  dogs  in  the  past,  but  never  one  so  intelligent 
as  Toss. 

"  He  will  sit  up,  stand  up,  lie  down,  turn  over,  be 
dead,  say  his  prayers,  resting  his  paws  against  the 


226       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

wall,  on  a  chair,  or  against  the  chair  back  on  command. 
He  catches  his  food,  while  sitting  up,  and  eats  it  or 
not,  as  told  to,  puts  out  a  lighted  match,  will  sneeze 
when  told,  will  shake  himself  when  told,  will  jump 
through  arms,  over  cane,  etc.,  to  eat  food  placed  in 
front  of  him,  but  when  told  to  do  so  will  bring  food  to 
me  instead  of  eating  it. 

"  My  daughter  dresses  him  in  her  doll's  clothes  and 
plays  with  him  as  a  doll,  and  he  seems  to  enjoy  the 
sport  quite  as  much  as  the  child.  When  I  reach  home 
at  night,  he  appears  restless  until  after  he  has  brought 
my  slippers,  which  he  does  just  when  I  begin  unlacing 
my  shoes. 

"  On  a  test  he  has  found  my  hat,  my  cap,  my  over- 
shoes and  a  pocketbook,  by  first  showing  him  the  article 
and  then  hiding  it.  The  finding  of  my  cap  was  an  old 
trick  with  him,  but  the  others  were  suggested  by  a 
friend,  and  the  dog  never  failed  in  his  first  attempt  to 
find  the  article  I  asked  for. 

'  Toss,  do  you  want  a  biscuit  ? '  sets  him  dancing. 
He  will  then  take  a  coin  from  my  hand  and  go  to  a 
near-by  bakery  where  the  ladies  gives  him  a  cake 
which  he  brings  to  me. 

"  He  can  pick  up  small  coins  as  cents,  nickels,  dimes 
and  quarters,  but  half  dollars  and  silver  dollars  he  has 
hard  work  to  pick  up,  though  he  tries  hard  to  do  it. 

"  The  dog  has  no  pedigree  and  there  may  be  smarter 
ones,  but  in  our  family  Toss  is  looked  upon  as  '  just  all 
right.'  One  trick  that  creates  considerable  amusement 
is  to  see  him  sitting  on  the  sidewalk  on  his  hind  legs 
and  I  a  block  away.  As  soon  as  I  whistle  he  comes 
running." 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  227 

Mrs.  Fairchild  Allen,  editor  of  Our  Fellow  Creatures 
sends  me  the  following  story  of  Rover : 

"  '  Rover  Spence/  as  he  was  called,  was  born  at  Aus- 
tin, 111.,  and  was  a  mixture  of  St.  Bernard  and  Labra- 
dor. His  coat  was  black  and  white,  beautifully  fine, 
wavy  and  glossy.  In  disposition  he  was  gentle  and 
affectionate,  although  he  had  strongly  marked  likes 
and  dislikes. 

"  For  his  young  master,  Harry  Spence,  Rover  enter- 
tained a  devotion  most  profound.  It  can  never  be  de- 
termined whether  or  not  he  knew  that  Harry  rescued 
him  from  the  dog  destroyer's  hands,  and  hastened  with 
;  his  new  possession  from  the  vicinity,  offering  to  the 

policeman  in  the  case  his  little  store  of  hoarded  wealth 
— 25  cents.  (Be  it  recorded  to  that  policeman's  honor 
that  he  refused  to  accept  the  fee  and  sent  the  boy  away 
happy  with  his  four-footed  friend  and  a  written  order 

that  he  would  not  be  molested. ) 

' 

"  From  that  time  on  Rover  lived  happily  with  the 
Spences  until  the  day  of  his  death — about  thirteen 
years  later.  He  grew  to  magnificent  proportions,  his 
head  being  even  with  an  ordinary  table.  His  intelli- 
gence was  phenomenal.  He  seemed,  in  time,  to  under- 
stand everything  that  was  said  to  him — and  much  con- 
versation that  was  not  directed  to  him.  After  he  had 
been  in  his  new  home  only  about  forty-eight  hours  he 
was  stolen  by  his  old  mistress,  but  he  soon  returned  to 
his  new  friends  with  his  gnawed  rope  dangling  from 
his  neck. 

"  When  the  muzzle  fiend  appeared,  Rover  entered  a 
vigorous  protest.  He  might  usually  be  seen  with  it 
hanging  loose  upon  his  neck;  but  finally  he  hit  upon  a 


228       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

method  of  release  from  the  hateful  contrivance  and 
buried  it  securely  (as  he  thought)  in  his  mistress' 
flower-bed. 

"  For  Harry's  mother  he  entertained  an  adoration 
equally  with  that  bestowed  upon  her  son — especially 
as  the  dog  grew  older.  When  Harry  left  home  and 
Rover  grew  aged  it  was  she  who  ministered  tenderly 
to  his  infirmities,  helping  him  up  the  stairways  when 
his  rheumatic  limbs  refused  their  office. 

"  During  the  childhood  of  Harry  and  his  sister, 
Laila,  Rover  was  their  companion  and  their  guardian. 
They  lived  near  Clear  Lake  in  Wisconsin,  and  like  all 
children  were  '  possessed  '  to  be  in  the  water.  Rover 
disapproved  of  this,  for  he  foresaw  danger;  and  if  they 
tried  to  have  him  confined  at  home  their  plans  never 
succeeded.  He  would  invariably  be  seen  bounding  over 
the  hills  to  the  lake  soon  after  they  supposed  they  had 
him  safely  secured  at  home. 

"  Finding  the  children  would  go  in  the  water  Rover 
would  follow  and  nip  their  legs  in  the  endeavor  to 
get  them  to  shore.  This  failing,  as  a  last  resort  he 
would  swim  to  land  and  start  to  run  away  with  their 
clothes!  This  had  the  desired  effect.  Harry  and  his 
followers  would  then  reluctantly  repair  to  terra  firma — 
promising  Rover  many  punishments — which  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say  he  never  realized  or  feared. 

"  In  due  time  Rover  was  handsomely  fitted  out  with 
sulky  and  harness  and  drew  his  young  master  about  the 
village  roads.  He  had  a  weakness  for  chasing  cats  and 
rabbits,  and  upon  one  occasion,  being  harnessed  to  his 
cart,  a  rabbit  ran  across  the  street  and  through  the 
fence  and  Rover  followed,  leaving  his  master  and  cart 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  229 

on  one  side  the  fence,  with  himself  and  the  rabbit 
(which  doubtless  escaped)  on  the  other. 

"  Harry  vowed  vengeance  as  he  went  home  crying, 
with  the  remnants  of  the  cart  and  harness,  but,  as  usual, 
forgave  his  dear  dog  when  the  latter  at  last  returned 
home. 

"  Notwithstanding  his  dislike  of  cats  in  general, 
Rover  learned  to  respect  the  rights  of  the  family  cat 
and  even  assisted  in  the  rearing  of  her  kittens  by  re- 
maining with  and  watching  them  during  the  mother's 
absence.  One  kitten  of  one  litter,  however,  was  so 
different  in  color  from  the  balance  of  the  feline  family, 
that  Rover  must  have  considered  it  belonged  elsewhere, 
so,  without  ever  hurting  it,  he  would  carry  it  out  and 
hide  it  in  the  tall  grass.  When  asked  where  it  was,  he 
would  hang  his  head  like  a  child  conscious  of  wrong 
doing.  He  took  a  dislike  to  another  cat  and  when  it 
tried  to  eat  from  his  plate  he  would  '  spread  himself  ' 
over  the  plate  and  walk  round  it  so  as  to  exclude  the 
cat  from  the  feast.  He  was  phenomenally  good  tem- 
pered amid  all  his  experiences. 

"  During  the  last  year  of  Rover's  life  he  was  moved 
from  his  country  village  home  into  the  city  of  Chicago. 
He  had  a  large  yard,  however,  in  which  to  range,  and 
soon  became  reconciled  to  the  change.  Here  began  his 
acquaintance  with  '  Chiffon,'  a  lovely,  aristocratic 
Angora  cat.  The  two  were  first  fastened  at  opposite 
sides  of  the  yard  where  they  could  view  but  not  injure 
each  other.  After  a  brief  pretence  of  antagonism  they 
became  good  friends.  '  Chiffon '  would  sometimes 
slap  his  comrade  across  the  face,  unexpectedly,  but  was 
always  forgiven  by  the  nobler  spirit  of  the  dog. 


230       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The 

"  At  one  time  Chiffon  was  absent  from  his  home  nine 
days  to  the  great  grief  and  consternation  of  the  family. 
Upon  his  return,  being  very  much  soiled  and  altogether 
demoralized,  he  was  at  once  put  in  his  bath.  So  sen- 
sible was  he,  seeming  to  realize  what  relief  a  bath  would 
effect,  he  purred  in  the  water. 

"  Rover  manifested  great  pleasure  at  Chiffon's  re- 
turn, and  during  the  operation  of  bathing  lay  down 
close  by  the  tub  and  scarcely  took  his  eyes  off  the  truant 
until  he  was  taken  out  and  thoroughly  dried  with 
towels.  Chiffon  was  so  gentle  and  seemingly  self -abased 
that  he  was  finally  laid  down  close  by  Rover  on  the 
floor — but  alas,  the  cat  most  unexpectedly  drew  up 
one  paw  and  struck  Rover  in  the  face. 

'  This  blow  to  his  affection  and  self  respect  was  not 
resented  by  a  growl  or  showing  of  the  teeth,  but  the 
fond  dog  was  deeply  grieved.  He  at  once  arose  and 
left  the  room  and  after  that  time  seemed  not  so  fond 
of  the  great  cat — quite  a  natural  result. 

"  He  passed  away  not  very  long  afterward,  leaving 
behind  him  sentiments  of  regret  and  affection  and  a 
loving  memory  accorded  only  to  a  few  among  human 
kind.  Who  shall  say  that  the  attributes  which  so  en- 
deared him  to  his  human  friends — by  which  he  was 
recognized  as  a  kindred  spirit — will  be  resolved  to  earth 
in  the  dog,  and  be  preserved  in  eternity  for  man?  " 

The  Boston  Beacon,  July  15,  1899,  quotes  this  inter- 
esting story  by  Clare  Jerrold,  about  Clever  Fritz : 

'  The  following  true  story  of  a  dog's  intelligence  is 
given  as  nearly  as  I  can  remember  in  the  words  of  a 
friend  from  whom  I  heard  it : 

"  Years  ago  I  was  staying  for  some  weeks  at  a  fairly 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  231 

large  hotel,  and  I  picked  up  one  of  the  most  delightful 
friends  I  ever  made  in  my  life.  His  name  was  Fritz, 
and  he  had  a  long  black  body,  four  short  legs,  the  toes 
well  turned  out,  a  cold  nose,  floppy  ears,  and  a  pair  of 
beautiful  brown  eyes.  He  belonged  to  the  hotel  keeper, 
but  quite  fell  in  love  with  me  at  our  first  meeting.  So 
we  always  went  for  walks  together,  and  when  I  went 
into  the  gardens  where  no  dogs  were  admitted,  Fritz 
somehow  always  managed  to  elude  the  gate-keeper,  and 
came  trotting  after  me  with  a  triumphant  flourish  of 
his  tail  after  I  had  been  there  a  few  minutes.  He  slept 
most  nights  outside  my  bedroom  door,  and  sometimes 
inside;  indeed,  we  grew  such  chums  that  I  asked  the 
hotel  keeper  to  sell  him.  He  agreed,  and  Fritz,  who 
was  standing  by,  made  his  eyes  snap  and  sparkle  with 
delight,  wriggling  round  and  round  my  feet  in  his  ex- 
citement. 

"  When  my  maid  was  packing  for  our  departure 
Fritz  understood  all  about  it,  and  stretched  himself  on 
my  door-mat  with  a  sigh  of  contentment,  but  alas!  in 
the  morning  he  was  gone.  We  looked  everywhere,  and 
called  inside  and  outside  the  house,  but  he  was  not  to  be 
found.  Mrs.  Hotelkeeper  had,  I  expect,  hidden  him, 
for  she  did  not  want  him  sold,  and  so  I  had  to  go  with- 
out my  Fritz. 

"  Two  years  later  I  went  back  to  the  same  place,  my 
husband  and  baby  being  with  me,  and  my  little  pet 
terrier.  Fritz  was  on  the  platform  with  his  master  to 
meet  us.  At  the  sight  of  my  face  he  uttered  a  howl  of 
recognition,  and,  as  soon  as  the  door  was  opened, 
rushed  frantically  to  welcome  me.  In  the  midst  of  his 
joy  the  little  dog  I  carried  began  to  bark.  Fritz 


232       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

bounded  away  as  though  shot,  and  stared  at  me  with 
unbelieving-,  reproachful  eyes.  But  he  found  it  was 
true;  I  had  another  dog  with  me!  Drooping  his  head 
and  dragging  his  tail,  he  walked  slowly  away. 

"  Poor  Fritz  was  jealous;  he  would  not  forgive  me. 
If  I  called  to  him  he  pretended  not  to  hear,  nor  did  he 
ever  come  to  my  bedroom  door. 

"  At  the  end  of  three  weeks  my  husband  went  home 
and  took  the  terrier  with  him.  I  stood  at  my  window 
to  see  him  go,  and  Fritz  sat  on  the  hot  pavement  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  He  watched  the  luggage 
go,  he  watched  us  saying  good-bye,  and  he  watched 
Frank  walk  off  to  the  station  with  Tiny  under  his  arm. 
When  Frank  turned  the  corner  Fritz  trotted  after  him, 
and  putting  his  nose  round  to  the  cross  street,  watched 
him  until  he  reached  the  station  at  the  end.  Then,  as 
though  demented,  he  turned  and  flew  back  to  the  hotel, 
up  the  steps,  up  the  stairs,  until  at  my  door  he  scratched 
and  barked  loudly  for  entrance.  When  I  let  him  in, 
his  leaps  of  happiness  and  his  kisses  were  overwhelm- 
ing, and  we  were  again  fast  friends. 

"  Once  more  I  asked  the  landlord  to  sell  him  and 
once  more  we  agreed  to  a  price. 

"  The  day  before  I  was  leaving  I  told  Fritz  that  he 
was  to  go  with  me.  He  looked  as  though  he  under- 
stood, but  did  not  come  to  sleep  either  outside  or  inside 
my  room  that  night. 

"  In  the  morning,  however,  no  Fritz  was  to  be 
found,  and  when  I  asked  for  him  I  was  told  that  he  had 
not  been  seen  since  the  previous  afternoon,  nor  had  he 
come  in  for  his  supper.  After  breakfast  thoueh.  on 
looking  from  the  window,  I  saw  my  black  friend  sitting 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  233 

in  his  favorite  place  on  the  opposite  pavement.  The 
landlord  saw  him,  too,  and  called  him,  but  he  only 
wagged  his  tail.  Bones  and  food  were  put  on  the  hotel 
steps,  but  though  he  kept  looking  at  them  from  the 
corner  of  his  eye,  he  would  not  approach  the  house. 

"  Then  he  lay  with  his  nose  upon  his  paws,  blinking 
in  the  sun,  as  my  luggage  was  taken  away.  He  saw 
the  nurse  carrying  the  baby  up  the  street,  and  still  he 
sat  there.  At  last,  having  settled  with  everyone,  I  ap- 
peared at  the  door  and  called  him.  He  started  to  his 
feet  and  wagged  his  tail,  but  would  not  cross  the  road 
even  to  me.  As  I  walked  along  one  side  he  trotted 
along  the  other,  until  we  came  to  the  bend.  Then  he 
cautiously  peeped  round  the  corner  and  watched  his 
master  going  along  to  the  station,  for  he  was  a  polite 
man  who  always  saw  his  guests  off  by  train.  Feeling 
himself  safe  so  far,  Fritz  darted  across,  leaped  up  at 
me,  and  ran  down  a  cross-street  which  led  by  an  unfre- 
quented way  to  the  station.  A  few  yards  down  he 
stopped  and  looked  back  with  such  imploring  eyes  that 
I  could  do  nothing  but  follow  him. 

"  When  we  came  out  close  to  the  line  Fritz  stood 
still ;  on  the  wooden  platform  he  saw  his  master  giving 
orders  about  luggage,  while  the  train  was  waiting,  so 
he  made  a  dash  toward  a  clump  of  bushes,  and  crouch- 
ing beneath,  refused  to  come  out  for  any  entreaties. 

"  I  had  to  leave  him,  and  walking  across  the  plat- 
form, took  my  seat,  shaking  hands  with  the  good  hotel 
keeper  who  had  seen  after  everything  for  me.  The 
guard  turned  to  shut  my  door,  when  a  black  streak  shot 
from  under  the  bushes,  jumped  up  the  steps,  and  hid 
beneath  my  feet.  The  door  banged,  and  the  train 


234       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

moved  off,  but  not  for  an  hour  did  the  dear  dog  feel 
that  it  was  safe  to  creep  from  his  hiding-place.  Then 
he  sat  by  my  side  and  was  fed  with  sandwiches  and  bis- 
cuits to  make  up  for  his  long  fast.  And  ever  since  he 
has  been  my  constant  companion." 

Captain  John  Codman,  of  Boston,  writes  in  the  New 
York  Times : 

"  Many  years  ago  I  was  the  second  mate  on  the 
ship  Carolina  of  Boston,  commanded  by  Captain  Ste- 
phen Lemist.  He  had  on  board  a  fine  black  shaggy 
Newfoundland  dog  called  Neptune.  '  Nep  '  was  the 
pet  of  all  hands  as  well  as  of  his  master.  He  had  the 
full  liberty  of  the  quarter-deck,  and  sometimes  availed 
himself  of  it  by  carelessly  walking  about  on  the  taff- 
rail.  We  were  bound  to  New  Orleans,  and  were  being 
towed  up  the  Mississippi  in  company  with  four  other 
vessels.  '  Nep  '  was  walking  on  the  rail  as  was  his 
occasional  custom,  when  he  unfortunately  lost  his  bal- 
ance and  fell  overboard.  It  was  impossible  to  stop 
without  disarranging  the  tow,  which  the  captain  of  the 
tug  would  not  consent  to  do.  So  Captain  Lemist  and 
the  grief-stricken  crew  were  constrained  to  leave  the 
dog  to  his  fate.  For  a  while  he  swam  after  the  fleet, 
but  finding  that  he  could  not  keep  up  with  us,  he  struck 
out  for  the  Western  shore  of  the  river,  seeing  that  he 
was  nearest  to  that  side.  The  only  satisfaction  that  we 
had  was  that  his  life  was  in  no  danger,  for  we  were 
sure  that  he  would  reach  the  land.  As  for  ourselves,  we 
mourned  that  we  had  forever  parted  company  with 
our  dear  shipmate,  and  the  captain,  as  I  can  see  him 
now,  laid  his  head  upon  the  binnacle  and  sobbed  like  a 
child.  We  were  about  fifty  miles  below  New  Orleans 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  235 

at  the  time  of  the  accident,  and  in  a  few  hours  were 
berthed  at  the  levee,  where  we  remained  for  three  days 
discharging  our  cargo.  A  freight  of  cotton  and  tobacco 
for  London  was  engaged  and  we  were  towed  up  to 
Lafayette,  some  three  or  four  miles  above,  to  take  it 
in,  and  were  berthed  the  third  outside  in  a  tier  of 
vessels,  the  cargo  being  carried  on  planks  over  the 
decks  of  the  others.  One  morning  after  we  had  been 
there  two  days,  as  we  were  busily  engaged  at  our  work, 
to  our  utter  astonishment  '  Nep  '  walked  on  board ! 

"  It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  our  joy  equalled  his 
own.  Wagging  his  organ  of  recognition,  as  a  dog's 
tail  has  so  aptly  been  termed,  and  crying  in  a  dog's 
language  of  delight,  he  jumped  upon  every  one  of  his 
old  friends,  entirely  ignoring  the  stevedores,  whom  he 
did  not  know,  and  then  rushed  down  the  companion- 
way  in  search  of  the  captain,  who  did  not  happen  to  be 
on  board.  Then  he  came  on  deck  dejected  and  woe-be- 
gone,  taking  no  further  interest  in  any  of  us  beyond 
casting  about  his  inquiring  looks.  I  expect  to  be  be- 
lieved, for  I  am  telling  the  truth,  when  I  say  that  the 
big  tears  stood  in  his  eyes.  The  captain  had  gone 
ashore  to  his  consignee's  office  in  the  city,  as  the  chief 
mate  knew.  '  Come,  Nep,'  said  he,  '  come  along.'  Nep 
understood  him  readily  enough  as  he  jumped  on  the 
stage  over  the  other  vessels'  decks,  and  followed  him 
down  to  the  office,  where  he  was  clasped  in  his  fond 
master's  arms.  There  is  not  a  particle  of  fiction  in 
this  pathetic  story.  How  Neptune  found  his  ship  was 
beyond  our  ken ;  we  merely  guessed  that  he  had  traveled 
fifty  miles  up  the  river  till  he  came  to  th?*ferry,  crossed 
over  to  New  Orleans  and  then  found  his  way  up  to  La- 


236       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

fayette,  walked  over  two  tiers  of  ships  and  reached  his 
old  home  again. 

"  How  did  he  find  it  ?  He  yearned  to  tell  us,  for  he 
knew  that  it  was  in  our  minds  to  ask  him.  But,  alas, 
he  could  not  speak.  He  was  denied  the  gift  that  God 
has  given  to  so  many  human  brutes  who  have  immortal 
souls,  while  he,  when  '  life's  fitful  fever  '  was  ended, 
went  back  to  dust  whence  all  of  us  came.  But  who 
knows  if  this  is  true?  Why  should  a  dog  not  be  im- 
mortal because,  although  with  two  legs  more  than  a 
man,  he  happens  to  have  no  voice,  and  why  should  all 
men  be  immortal  because  they  can  stand  up  on  two  legs 
and  make  more  noise  than  dogs  from  their  mouths?  " 

Mr.  Angell  in  Our  Dumb  Animals,  March,  1898. 
well  answers  the  question  about  "  Any  future  life  for 
animals?  "  "John  Wesley,  the  founder  of  Methodism, 
thought  there  was.  So  did  those  eminent  Christian 
bishops,  Jeremy  Taylor  and  Bishop  Butler.  Coleridge 
advocated  it  in  England,  Lamartine  in  France  and 
Agassiz  in  America.  Agassiz,  the  greatest  scientist  we 
ever  had  on  this  continent,  and  a  man  of  profound 
religious  convictions,  was  a  firm  believer  in  some 
future  life  for  the  lower  animals.  A  professor  of  Har- 
vard University  has  compiled  a  list  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  European  authors  who  have  written  on  the 
subject.  Many  years  ago  a  man  left  by  will  to  Mr. 
Bergh's  New  York  Society  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  Relatives  contested  the  will  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  insane  because  he  believed  in  a 
future  life  for.  animals.  The  judge,  in  sustaining  the 
will,  said  he  fmind  that  more  than  half  the  human  race 
believed  the  same  thing." 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  237 

Agassiz  said  :  "  In  some  incomprehensible  way,  God 
Almighty  has  created  these  beings,  and  I  cannot  doubt 
of  their  immortality  any  more  than  I  doubt  of  my 
own."  Luther,  Horatius  Bonar,  Dean  Stanley,  Dr. 
Adam  Clark,  Mrs.  Somerville,  Canon  Kingsley,  Byron, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Chalmers,  Keble,  General  Gordon  and 
others  believed  with  Agassiz. 

The  New  York  Times  tells  of  a  large  black  New- 
foundland dog  who  used  to  draw  a  little  boy  in  his 
cart  each  morning  to  school,  and  go  after  him  at  the 
close  of  the  day.  One  evening  as  the  dog  lay  appar- 
ently asleep,  his  owner,  who  had  been  fined  for  neglect- 
ing to  pay  his  dog  tax,  said,  "  Wife,  I  must  get 
rid  of  the  dog;  I  cannot  afford  so  much  expense  for 
him." 

The  dog  got  up,  went  to  the  door  and  asked  to  go 
out.  He  ran  away,  and  never  could  be  persuaded  to 
return.  He  went  to  a  store  where  the  clerk  had  some- 
times petted  him,  and  insisted  upon  staying,  so  the 
clerk  bought  him.  He  would  carry  messages  or  parcels 
to  the  house  from  the  store,  and  if  disturbed  on  the 
route  by  any  other  dog,  he  would  deliver  his  bundle, 
and  then  return  and  whip  the  offender. 

A  friend  of  mine  vouches  for  this  story :  A  mem- 
ber of  the  household  said,  "  The  dog  tax  is  two  dollars, 
and  I  cannot  afford  to  pay  it.  The  dog  will  have  to  be 
killed."  The  dog  disappeared  and  later  returned  with 
something  in  his  mouth.  It  was  examined  and  found 
to  be  a  two  dollar  bill.  It  was  believed  that  the  dog 
knew  where  a  pocket  book  was  kept,  opened  it,  and  took 
out  the  money,  probably  not  knowing  trflT  value  of  the 
bill. 


238       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

An  intoxicated  man  in  Trenton,  says  the  New  York 
World  for  September,  1898,  tried  to  climb  a  telegraph 
pole,  when  his  Scotch  terrier  caught  hold  of  his  cloth- 
ing and  attempted  to  stop  such  a  dangerous  exhibition 
of  himself.  A  policeman  ordered  the  man  down  and 
arrested  him.  The  man  was  fined  five  dollars  in  the 
Police  Court,  and  got  permission  to  send  his  dog, 
Tinker,  home  for  the  money.  He  was  sufficiently 
sobered  by  this  time  to  write  a  note,  and  then  said  to 
the  dog  as  he  tied  it  to  his  neck,  "  Go  right  straight 
home  and  then  come  right  back  here."  Tinker  wagged 
his  tail,  and  ran  out  of  court.  In  a  half  hour  he  re- 
turned, still  wagging  his  tail,  and  the  man  took  the 
note  off  his  neck,  which  had  five  dollars  in  it,  and  paid 
his  fine.  Tinker  was  quite  as  much  rejoiced  as  his 
master,  and  jumped  about  and  barked  in  a  most  joyous 
manner. 

The  proprietor  of  the  Sheridan  House,  at  Elizabeth, 
N.  J.,  owns  a  valuable  setter,  Fannie,  says  the  New 
York  Journal.  The  receipts  of  the  hotel  for  two  days 
he  had  placed  between  the  leaves  of  his  bank  book,  and 
started  for  the  bank  to  deposit  the  money.  When  he 
reached  the  bank  he  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  but  the 
book  was  missing.  Hurrying  back  toward  the  hotel  he 
met  Fannie  coming  toward  him  with  the  book  in  her 
mouth.  She  had  found  it  probably  as  he  left  the  hotel 
and  had  scented  his  footsteps  to  follow  him. 

Dogs  can  be  taught  to  steal  as  well  as  to  be  honest. 
A  lady  and  her  husband  were  standing  before  the  Hoff- 
man House,  New  York,  says  the  New  York  World, 
March.  1900,  when  a  black  and  tan  terrier  snatched 
a  handsome  purse  from  the  lady's  hand,  and  rushed 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  239 

away  to  a  showily  dressed  woman  who  disappeared  in 
the  crowd. 

Dogs  become  almost  as  skilful  as  their  masters,  if 
properly  taught.  It  is  said  that  the  dog  of  Herr  Gus- 
tav  von  Moser,  the  naturalist,  who  has  collected  snakes 
from  almost  every  part  of  the  world,  has  a  dog,  Disc, 
a  bright  little  fox  terrier,  who  knows  a  harmless  snake 
from  a  poisonous  one,  as  quickly  as  his  owner. 

The  New  York  Commercial  Advertiser  tells  of  a  boy 
in  Chicago  who  taught  a  Great  Dane  puppy  to  sit  on 
the  seat  of  his  delivery  wagon,  hold  the  reins  in  his 
teeth,  and  pull  back  if  the  horse  started  before  the  boy 
came  back.  Recently,  the  horse  shied,  threw  the  driver 
from  his  seat,  and  started  to  run  away,  the  reins  drag- 
ging on  the  ground.  Then  the  dog  put  into  practice 
what  he  had  been  taught.  He  dashed  after  the  run- 
away, seized  the  lines,  and  pulled  back  with  all  his 
might,  till  his  master,  not  seriously  injured,  came  to  the 
rescue. 

A  white  setter  stopped  another  runaway  in  Chicago 
in  the  summer  of  1897.  The  driver  had  been  thrown 
out,  when  the  setter  climbed  upon  the  seat,  seized  the 
lines  in  his  teeth,  then  jumped  into  the  bottom  of  the 
wagon,  running  to  the  rear  and  bracing  himself.  He 
pulled  and  sawed  as  he  had  seen  his  master  do,  prob- 
ably, till  the  horse  slackened  his  speed,  and  a  half 
dozen  men  stopped  him.  Then  the  dog  jumped  down 
under  the  horse's  head,  and  awaited  the  coming  of  the 
driver. 

G.  de  Montanban  in  Forest  and  Stream,  tells  of  his 
St.  Bernard,  who  every  morning  when  the  mail  car- 
rier has  passed  the  house,  at  9 130,  plants  himself  at  the 


240       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

front  door  and  waits  for  him  to  go  to  the  Post  Office. 
He  whines  and  howls  till  his  master  goes,  and  expresses 
great  delight  when  he  is  ready.  At  i  150  p.  MV  the 
time  for  the  afternoon  mail,  he  repeats  his  wish  to  go, 
and  joy  at  going.  The  dog  is  so  gentle  and  kind,  says 
the  writer,  "  If  a  whole  regiment  of  tramps  were  to 
parade  through  the  house,  I  doubt  if  he  would  do  any- 
thing but  put  up  his  paw  and  ask  to  be  petted.  Last 
summer  I  had  him  at  the  lake,  and  when  I  went  away 
for  two  days  he  just  sat  on  the  extreme  end  of  the 
boat  landing  and  silently  wept.  I  didn't  know  dogs 
could  cry  that  way." 

My  own  St.  Bernard,  when  I  went  to  Chicago  to  the 
World's  Fair,  howled  day  by  day,  all  the  time  I  was 
gone,  and  became  thin  and  dejected.  When  I  returned, 
her  joy  was  so  great,  that  we  feared  she  would  die. 
The  pet  dog  of  Asa  Gray,  the  renowned  botanist  of 
Harvard  University,  died  of  joy  when  his  master  re- 
turned after  a  year's  absence  in  Europe. 

A  grizzly  St.  Bernard  decided  a  case  in  court  the 
other  day  in  the  Superior  Civil  Court,  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  judge,  jury  and  witnesses,  says  the  Boston 
Daily  Traveler,  November  14,  1898. 

"  About  a  year  ago  the  dog  was  kidnapped  from  a 
Revere  farmer,  and  subsequently  sold  to  a  Brookline 
livery  stable  keeper  for  $50. 

"  The  Revere  farmer  advertised,  but  to  no  purpose. 
Business  one  day  took  him  to  Brookline.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  his  six-year-old  daughter. 

'  They  were  driving  slowly  through  the  main  street. 
Suddenly  the  child  uttered  a  cry. 

"'Look,  pa!    Oh,  look!  look!  Carlo!  Carlo!' 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  241 

"  There  on  the  green,  with  tail  extended  and  eye 
dilated,  his  great  body  trembling  with  the  excite- 
ment caused  by  that  voice  he  loved,  stood  kidnapped 
'  Carlo.' 

"  '  Oh,  come,  Carlo ! '  cried  the  child  eagerly.  There 
was  a  merry  bark,  and  the  dog  was  by  the  side  of  the 
wagon  in  a  twinkling,  wagging  his  bushy  tail  and 
prancing  in  doggish  glee.  The  farmer  of  course  took 
possession  of  the  dog.  The  Brooklinite  laid  his  griev- 
ance before  the  court. 

"  It  took  two  days  to  hear  the  case. 

"  The  complainant  put  in  evidence  to  show  that  he 
purchased  the  dog  of  the  man  who  reared  him.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  defendant  described  every  mark  and 
scar  on  the  dog. 

"  '  I  think  I'll  postpone  the  trial  in  order  to  have  the 
dog  in  court  as  a  witness,'  said  the  judge. 

"  A  deputy  sheriff  brought  the  canine  to  court  the 
day  following. 

"  '  Carlo ! '  called  the  livery  stable  keeper.  The  dog 
only  sniffed  and  moved  uneasily. 

'*'  '  Oh,  Carlo !  Carlo ! '  cried  the  farmer's  child. 
The  huge  St.  Bernard's  tail  went  round.  In  another 
second  he  was  bounding  down  the  corridor  to  his  mis- 
tress. 

"  The  case  then  was  submitted  to  the  jury,  and  after 
five  minutes'  deliberating  the  jury  returned  with  a 
verdict  for  the  farmer." 

Dash,  who  carried  the  mail  for  ten  years  for  his 
master,  Walter  C.  Wilmer,  postmaster  at  Vailsburg,  N. 
J.,  died  in  January,  1899.  The  mail  came  twice  a  day 
by  trolley  car  from  South  Orange,  and  rain  or  shine, 


242       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Dash  was  there  to  carry  it  to  his  master,  and  receive 
a  soda  cracker  for  his  good  deed. 

Roy  is  an  English  mastiff,  belonging  to  Miss  Mil- 
dred Sherman  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  says  the  New  York 
World  for  October  28,  1898. 

"  He  has  come  into  notice  particularly  the  past  year 
or  two,  because  of  his  association  with  the  Kanatenah 
Club  House,  which  is  one  of  the  historic  mansions  of 
the  city,  as  it  was  the  homestead  of  the  Hamilton  White 
family,  pioneers  in  cultivation  and  wealth  among  Syra- 
cuse's best  people. 

"  Mrs.  Sherman  sold  the  homestead  to  the  club  and 
when  the  family  left  the  house,  Roy,  the  family  dog, 
was  also  removed;  but  he  rebelled  against  a  change  of 
quarters  and  refuses  to  live  anywhere  but  at  the  club 
house. 

"  This  club  is  the  largest  social  club  in  the  State  and 
has  for  a  membership  nearly  300  of  the  representative 
women  of  the  city.  Roy  is  indifferent  to  blandish- 
ments, never  anything  but  gentle,  yet  always  dignifiedly 
reserved. 

"  His  intelligence  has  been  evinced  in  many  ways, 
but  in  none  as  in  his  deportment  during  several  opera- 
tions for  the  removal  of  a  growth  from  one  of  his  eye- 
lids. 

"  A  prominent  specialist  consented  to  take  Roy  as  a 
patient  because  '  he  is  so  near  human,'  as  the  doctor 
says. 

"  Roy  was  impressed  with  the  ordeal  the  first  time, 
and  the  second  time,  while  waiting  in  the  doctor's  re- 
ception room,  he  acted  as  if  he  were  bracing  himself  for 
the  ordeal.  When  the  time  came,  after  demurring 


i.  GIVGER,  owned  by  Mr.  Henry  C.  Buchanan,  Trenton,  X.  J.  (p.  218). 
—  2.  ROY.  owned  by  Miss  Mildred  Sherman,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  243 

vigorously,  he  listened  to  his  young  mistress  for  a 
few  moments  while  she  reasoned  with  him.  Then  he 
rushed  up  the  stairs  into  the  operating-room,  stepped 
into  the  chair  and  turned  his  head  toward  the  doctor 
and  quietly  permitted  the  operation.  Once  since  he  has 
had  the  excrescence  removed  and  returned  the  next  day, 
as  if  to  thank  the  doctor  for  his  kindness.  Roy  is 
social  in  his*  habits,  and  after  going  to  a  place  once 
always  returns  soon  after  to  make  a  call.  He  visits 
one  store  for  meat,  the  milk  association  for  milk,  a 
boarding-house,  and  is  a  frequenter  of  a  saloon.  He 
does  not  indulge  in  intoxicants,  so  why  he  visits  the  last 
named  place  is  not  known. 

"  He  resents  a  snub  of  any  kind,  and  never  puts  him- 
self in  the  way  of  a  second  one.  One  of  the  resident 
members  of  the  club,  to  whom  he  became  attached,  sent 
him  from  her  room  one  evening,  and  he  has  never  paid 
her  any  attention  since." 

I  wrote  to  Miss  Sherman  to  verify  these  facts  and 
received  this  interesting  letter :  "In  regard  to  the 
article  in  the  New  York  World  about  my  dog  Roy,  it 
gives  me  great  pleasure  to  tell  you  that  it  is  all  true 
and  a  great  deal  more  besides  that  would  be  of  interest 
to  any  lover  of  animals.  The  article  in  the  World  was 
an  extract  from  a  much  longer  one  that  appeared  in  a 
Syracuse  paper  and  I  regret  very  much  that  I  am  not 
able  to  send  it  to  you.  Roy  lived  to  be  nearly  ten  years 
old,  a  ripe  old  age  for  a  mastiff,  I  believe.  He  died  last 
summer. 

"  He  was  a  remarkable  dog  in  many  ways,  not  a 
thoroughbred,  although  a  fine  dog,  and  had  the  intelli- 
gence that  is  so  often  found  in  a  cross.  He  came  to 


244      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

me  when  he  was  only  three  weeks  old  and  from  that 
time  we  were  constant  companions.  But  every  other 
affection  was  overshadowed  by  his  love  for  his  home. 
The  first  night  we  spent  in  our  new  house,  he  cried  like 
a  homesick  child  and  early  next  morning  was  gone  and 
never  stayed  with  us  for  more  than  two  or  three  days 
at  a  time  after  that  until  he  grew  so  lame  that  it  was 
very  hard  for  him  to  walk  and  then  he  made  us  longer 
visits. 

"  Roy  was  very  fond  of  company  and  could  not  bear 
to  be  alone,  and  as  our  new  home  was  quite  a  distance 
from  the  center  of  the  city  and  his  old  haunts,  he  did 
not  like  it. 

"  Every  one  in  town  knew  him  and  when  he  walked 
anywhere  with  me  he  was  greeted  by  almost  every  one 
we  passed  with  a  familiar  '  Hello,  Roy.'  People  whom 
I  had  never  seen  seemed  to  know  him  well.  But  he 
was  never  demonstrative  and  usually  received  caresses 
with  a  bored  air.  One  of  the  funniest  things  about  him 
was  that  he  usually  came  to  see  us  at  the  new  home  on 
Sunday.  He  would  arrive  late  Saturday  night  or 
early  Sunday  morning  and  remain  until  Monday.  We 
accounted  for  this  by  the  fact  that  the  saloons  and 
grocers  where  he  spent  a  good  deal  of  his  time  were 
closed.  No  impression  could  be  made  on  him  by  whip- 
ping, but  he  remembered  a  scolding  for  weeks.  When 
I  would  get  ready  to  go  out,  Roy  would  look  at  me  in 
an  appealing  way,  but  he  was  too  proud  to  make  any 
effort  to  follow  me  unless  I  called  him.  But  if  I  did  not 
take  him,  he  would  not  look  at  me  when  I  returned 
and  would  hardly  notice  me  for  days.  He  was  like  a 
sensitive,  high-tempered  person. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  245 

"  The  most  intelligent  thing  he  ever  did  was  when 
my  uncle,  Mr.  Hamilton  White,  died.  It  was  a 
little  over  a  year  ago.  He  had  always  been  very 
much  interested  in  fires  and  had  a  fine  private  engine 
house.  He  finally  lost  his  life  at  a  fire  and  the  ac- 
count of  his  tragic  death  was  printed  in  the  papers 
all  over  the  country.  There  was  a  tremendous 
crowd  at  his  funeral,  the  church  was  filled  and  many 
people  stood  outside  who  could  not  get  in,  and  in 
the  midst  of  it  all  was  Roy.  How  he  got  there,  we 
never  knew,  as  he  had  been  at  the  club  for  a  week. 
Every  one  said  that  the  grief  displayed  by  that  dog 
was  the  saddest  thing  they  had  ever  seen.  He  stood 
outside  the  church  doors  and  would  not  be  driven 
away,  but  walked  mournfully  up  and  down  with  droop- 
ing head  and  tail.  At  last  some  one  who  knew  him 
came  and  insisted  on  taking  him  inside  the  church, 
saying  that  it  was  as  evident  as  if  he  had  spoken 
that  he  understood. 

"  While  he  was  undergoing  the  operation  referred  to 
in  the  World,  Roy  showed  more  courage  than  most  hu- 
man beings  would  under  the  same  circumstances.  The 
tumor  had  to  be  cut  from  his  eye  three  different  times 
and  Dr.  Brown  who  did  it  and  who  is  a  very  well 
known  specialist  said  that  Roy  was  one  of  the  best 
patients  he  had.  The  dog  would  tremble  all  over  with 
pain  and  fright,  but  would  stand  with  his  front  feet  on 
a  chair  and  hold  his  head  immovable.  He  had  an  ab- 
scess on  his  foot  at  one  time,  and  when  it  was  lanced 
he  showed  the  keenest  interest  in  the  operation. 

"  I  hope  that  you  will  be  able  to  use  some  of  the 
anecodotes  that  I  send  you,  and  if  you  wish  for  further 


246       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

details,  I  should  be  delighted  to  give  them,  as  Roy's 
strange  and  intelligent  doings  are  an  inexhaustible 
subject.  "  Very  sincerely, 

"  MILDRED  SHERMAN." 

Our  Dumb  Animals,  March,  1897,  quotes  from  the 
Philadelphia  Ledger  as  follows: 

"  A  physician  residing  in  New  Hope,  N.  J.,  has  a 
favorite  dog,  which  usually  meets  his  master  at  the  rail- 
road. On  a  recent  occasion  the  doctor  did  not  find 
him  at  the  station.  On  reaching  his  house  the  doctor 
found  the  dog  waiting  him  on  the  porch,  with  another 
dog.  As  the  doctor  passed  into  the  house  his  own  dog 
remained  outside,  as  well-bred  dogs  are  taught  to  do. 
But  the  strange  dog  pushed  in  and  overwhelmed  the 
doctor  with  caresses.  When  he  took  a  chair  the  dog 
climbed  with  his  breast  upon  the  doctor's  knee,  and  one 
paw  affectionately  upon  his  shoulder.  This  very  de- 
monstrative behavior  led  to  investigation,  and  upon  ex- 
amining the  other  paw  a  pin  was  found  sticking  in 
the  flesh.  It  was  of  course  extracted.  It  could  not  be 
said  in  this  case  that  the  doctor's  fee  was  '  no  great 
shakes/  for  the  vibrations  of  the  tail  of  the  patient. 
'  discharged  cured/  were  something  to  wonder  at,  as  he 
trotted  out.  It  is  not  remarkable  or  uncommon  that  a 
dog  should,  when  in  pain,  .appeal  for  help.  But  that 
a  physician's  dog  should  bring  his  master  a  subject 'for 
treatment,  certainly  is  a  remarkable  proof  of  animal 
sagacity." 

Our  Dumb  Animals  for  May,  1897,  has  this  incident 
showing  memory  and  gratitude: 

"  Hon.   Francis   S.   Hesseltine  of  our  Boston  Bar 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  247 

sends  us  the  following  written  to  him  by  Dr.  J.  Lang- 
don  Sullivan,  a  prominent  physician  of  Maiden, 
Mass. : 

"  '  The  facts  you  ask  for  are  as  follows :  Twenty 
years  ago  a  gentleman  brought  to  my  office,  310  Main 
street,  Maiden,  a  large,  very  handsome  intelligent 
spaniel  dog,  whose  nigh  foreleg  was  badly  broken,  the 
bone  being  grown  out  of  place.  On  the  master's  assur- 
ance that  the  dog  would  not  bite  me,  I  set  the  leg. 
Drawing  the  bony  fragments  into  place  caused  severe 
unavoidable  pain.  The  animal  whimpered,  but  dis- 
played no  anger,  and  allowed  the  dressing  to  remain 
undisturbed  until  I  removed  it,  when  firm  union  had 
resulted.  I  saw  no  more  of  my  canine  patient  nor  of 
his  owner  for  two  years.  Then  (again  on  a  summer's 
morning)  I  heard  a  loud  scratching  at  my  office  door, 
I  opened  it  and  there  stood  my  old  spaniel  friend,  wag- 
ging his  tail.  Beside  him  stood  a  fine  black  and  tan 
with  a  round  French  nail  driven  clear  through  his  right 
paw.  I  patted  the  spaniel,  called  both  dogs  in,  removed 
the  nail  and  sent  both  away  happy,  trotting  side  by  side 
as  if  nothing  had  happened.  I  have  never  seen  any- 
thing of  either  since.'  ' 

Lemuel  Collins  of  Bath,  Me.,  has  a  dog  named 
Pomp,  who  whenever  requested  to  do  so,  will  fill  the 
wood  box,  carrying  the  wood  stick  by  stick  in  his 
mouth  from  the  shed  to  the  kitchen  and  depositing  it 
in  the  wood  box,  until  the  box  is  filled. 

A  Boston  terrier,  running  on  the  thin  ice  of  Jamaica 
Pond,  broke  through  about  a  hundred  feet  from  the 
shore.  A  boy  procured  a  rope  and  threw  the  end  to 
him,  which  the  dog  at  once  seized  with  his  teeth  and 


248       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

held  on  while  the  boy  drew  the  grateful  creature  to  the 
shore. 

Mr.  J.  St.  Loe  Strachey  in  his  Dog  Stories  from 
the  Spectator,  gives  the  following:  "  Dr.  Walter  F. 
Atlee  writes  to  the  editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Medical 
Times : 

"  In  a  letter  recently  received  from  Lancaster,  where 
my  father  resides,  it  is  said :  '  A  queer  thing  occurred 
just  now.  Father  was  in  the  office,  and  heard  a  dog 
yelping  outside  the  door;  he  paid  no  attention  until  a 
second  and  louder  yelp  was  heard,  when  he  opened  it, 
and  found  a  little  brown  dog  standing  on  the  step  upon 
three  legs.  He  brought  him  in,  and  on  examining  the 
fourth  leg,  found  a  pin  sticking  in  it.  He  drew  out 
the  pin,  and  the  dog  ran  away  again.'  The  office  of 
my  father,  Dr.  Atlee,  is  not  directly  on  the  street,  but 
stands  back,  having  in  front  of  it  some  six  feet  of  stone 
wall  with  a  gate.  I  will  add  that  it  has  not  been  possi- 
ble to  discover  anything  more  about  the  dog. 

'  This  story  reminds  me  of  something  similar  that 
occurred  to  me  while  studying  medicine  in  the  same 
office  nearly  thirty  years  ago.  A  man  named  Cosgrove, 
the  keeper  of  a  low  tavern  near  the  railroad  station,  had 
his  arm  broken,  and  came  many  times  to  the  office  to 
have  the  dressings  arranged.  He  was  always  accom- 
panied by  a  large,  most  ferocious-looking  bull-dog, 
that  watched  me  most  attentively,  and  most  unpleas- 
antly to  me,  while  bandaging  his  master's  arm.  A  few 
weeks  after  Cosgrove's  case  was  discharged,  I  heard 
a  noise  at  the  office  door,  as  if  some  animal  was  pawing 
it,  and  on  opening  it,  saw  there  this  huge  bull-dog, 
accompanied  by  another  dog  that  held  up  one  of  its 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  249 

front  legs,  evidently  broken.  They  entered  the  office. 
I  cut  several  pieces  of  wood,  and  fastened  them  firmly 
to  the  leg  with  adhesive  plaster,  after  straightening  the 
limb.  They  left  immediately.  The  dog  that  came  with 
Cosgrove's  dog  I  never  saw  before  nor  since.  Do  not 
these  stories  adequately  show  that  the  dogs  reasoned 
and  drew  new  impressions  for  a  new  experience?  " 

The  December,  1899,  Journal  of  Zoophily  copies 
from  the  Denver  Post  this  interesting  account  of  some 
shepherd  dogs : 

"  The  most  celebrated  breed  of  shepherd  dogs  ever 
known  in  the  West,"  said  Jud  Bristol,  the  old-time 
Sheep  man  of  Fort  Collins,  Col.,  "  were  those  bred 
from  a  pair  of  New  Zealand  dogs  brought  to  Colorado 
in  1875.  I  had  several  of  their  pups  on  my  ranges, 
and  could  fill  a  volume  with  instances  of  their  rare  in- 
telligence and  faithfulness. 

"  I  remember  one  pup  in  particular.  He  was  only 
six  months  old  when  he  was  sent  out  one  day  to  work 
on  the  range.  At  night,  when  the  herd  was  brought 
up  to  the  corrals,  we  saw  at  once  that  a  part  of  the  herd 
was  missing.  There  were  1,600  head  in  the  bunch 
when  they  went  out  in  the  morning,  but  when  we  put 
them  through  the  chute  we  found  that  200  were  miss- 
ing. The  pup  was  also  missing.  Well,  all  hands 
turned  out  for  the  search.  We  hunted  all  that  night 
and  all  of  the  next  day,  and  did  not  find  the  lost  sheep 
until  along  toward  night.  But  they  were  all  herded  in 
a  little  draw,  about  five  miles  from  home,  and  there  was 
the  faithful  dog  standing  guard.  The  wolves  were 
very  plentiful  in  those  days,  and  the  dog  had  actually 
hidden  the  sheep  from  the  animals  in  the  draw.  The 


250       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

poor  fellow  was  nearly  famished,  as  he  had  been  for 
thirty-six  hours  without  food  or  water.  From  that 
day  he  became  a  hero,  but  was  so  badly  affected  by 
hunger,  exposure,  and  thirst,  and  subsequent  over-feed- 
ing and  petting,  that  he  died  not  long  afterward. 

"  This  same  pup's  mother  was  an  especially  fine  ani- 
mal. One  night  the  herder  brought  in  his  flocks  and 
hurried  to  his  cabin  to  cook  himself  some  supper,  for 
he  was  more  than  usually  hungry.  But  he  missed 
the  dog,  which  usually  followed  him  to  the  cabin  of  an 
evening  to  have  her  supper.  The  herder  thought  it 
rather  strange,  but  made  no  search  for  the  dog  that 
night.  But  when  he  went  down  to  the  corrals  the 
next  morning  he  found  the  gate  open  and  the  faithful 
dog  standing  guard  over  the  flocks.  This  herder,  in 
his  haste  the  nightv  before,  had  forgotten  to  close  the 
gate,  and  the  dog,  more  faithful  than  her  master,  had 
remained  at  her  post  all  night,  though  suffering  from 
hunger  and  thirst. 

"  On  another  occasion  this  same  dog  was  left  to 
watch  a  flock  of  sheep  near  the  fyerder's  cabin  while 
the  herder  got  his  supper.  After  he  had  eaten  his 
supper  he  went  out  to  where  the  sheep  were  and  told 
the  dog  to  put  the  sheep  in  the  corral.  This  she  re- 
fused to  do,  and,  although  she  had  had  no  supper,  she 
started  off  over  the  prairie  as  fast  as  she  could  go.  The 
herder  put  the  sheep  in  the.  corral  and  went  to  bed. 
About  midnight  he  was  awakened  by  the  loud  barking 
of  a  dog  down  by  the  corrals.  He  got  up,  dressed  him- 
self, and  went  down  to  the  corrals,  and  there  found  the 
dog  with  a  band  of  about  fifty  sheep,  which  had  strayed 
off  during  the  previous  day  without  the  herder's  knowl- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  251 

edge,  but  the  poor  dog  knew  it,  and  also  knew  they 
ought  to  be  corralled,  and  she  did  it." 

The  New  York  Sun  relates  this  story  of  a  dog  called 
Jim,  in  eastern  Oregon,  owned  by  Bob  Thompson : 

"  At  the  time  of  the  Bannock  uprising  Thompson 
and  his  men  were  herding  sheep  ten  miles  from  Pendle- 
ton.  One  morning  a  messenger  rode  up  in  hot  haste, 
warning  the  shepherds  to  flee  for  their  lives,  as  the 
Indians  were  on  the  war-path.  The  shepherds  fled. 
Only  the  dogs  and  sheep  were  left. 

"  For  the  next  few  days  the  dogs  came  straggling 
into  Pendleton  one  by  one,  and  within  a  week  they 
were  all  present  or  accounted  for,  all  but  Jim.  At  the 
end  of  a  month  the  Indian  uprising  had  been  put  down 
and  Thompson  went  out  to  look  for  his  sheep. 

"  He  had  left  2,000  and  he  found  6,000,  all  quietly 
feeding  together.  As  he  rode  near  he  saw,  perched  on 
a  tall  butte,  a  black  object  that  turned  out  to  be  Jim, 
who  gave  his  master  a  frantic  welcome  and  then 
proudly  started  with  him  to  inspect  the  band. 

"  Single-handed,  Jim  had  taken  care  of  those  sheep 
for  thirty  days,  driving  them  to  fresh  pastures  each 
day.  Every  stray  band  that  he  met  he  had  chased  into 
his  drove,  until  he  had  become  the  king  herder  of  the 
bunchgrass  country.  Hard  work  had  agreed  with  him, 
and  he  was  as  fat  as  a  possum  in  persimmon  time.  Jim 
is  gone  now,  but  his  memory  is  respected  by  every  wool 
puller  in  Umatilla  county." 

A.  R.  Alpine  tells  this  story  of  two  shepherd  dogs : 
"The  late  Rev.  Myron  Reed,  in  addition  to  being  an 
able  champion  and  warm-hearted  friend  of  the  poor 
and  oppressed  of  the  human  race,  was  also  a  great  lover 


252       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

of  animals.  Some  years  ago  he  told  me  the  following 
true  story  of  the  remarkable  sagacity  of  two  dogs, 
which  he  considered  the  greatest  dog  story  he  had  ever 
heard. 

"  It  was  the  custom  of  several  sheep-ranch  owners  in 

Colorado  to  winter  their  flocks  in  a"  certain  sheltered 

valley  in  the  mountains.     Their  summer  ranches  were 

,  widely  separated ;   and  the   sheep   were   driven   many 

miles,  usually  in  October,  to  the  winter  rendezvous. 

"  Among  the  number  who  thus  wintered  their  sheep 
were  two  men  who  were  partners,  and  their  flock  was 
generally  among  the  first  to  arrive.  But  one  fall  their 
flock  had  not  reached  the  valley,  even  after  all  the  other 
ranchmen,  with  their  thousands  of  sheep,  were  assem- 
bled. This  occasioned  much  uneasiness;  but,  finally, 
the  leaders  of  the  belated  flock  began  to  come  in,  and  in 
a  day  or  two  the  last  of  the  flock  were  driven  in  by  the 
two  dogs  belonging  to  the  partners.  And  still  the  men 
themselves  did  not  appear.  Fearing  foul  play,  the 
other  ranchmen  detailed  two  of  their  number  to  make 
a  thorough  investigation.  Accordingly,  these  men 
rode  over  the  trail  made  by  the  flock,  making  care- 
ful search  for  the  missing  partners.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  day  they  reached  a  stream,  on  the  further  side 
of  which  the  flock  had  evidently  been  halted  for  several 
days,  waiting  for  the  high  water  in  the  river  to  subside 
before  they  could  cross.  But  no  traces  of  the  owners 
could  yet  be  found.  Not  until  the  two  men  had  ridden 
back  over  the  whole  route,  and  reached  the  summer 
ranch,  was  the  mystery  solved.  There  they  found  the 
remains  of  the  unfortunate  partners,  murdered,  as  was 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  253 

subsequently  learned,  by  a  party  of  Mexicans  in  Au- 
gust. 

"  From  that  time  until  October  the  flock  had  received 
no  care  except  from  the  two*  faithful  dogs;  and  the 
instinct  or  reason  of  these  two  sagacious  animals  was 
so  very  wonderful  that,  when  the  proper  time  came  to 
take  up  the  march  for  the  distant  winter  quarters,  these 
two  noble  creatures,  unaided,  started,  guided,  and 
drove  the  large  flock  over  the  entire  distance,  which 
consumed  two  weeks'  time,  and  but  one  of  the  dogs 
had  ever  been  over  the  route  before." 

Old  Shep,  the  guardian  of  the  Central  Park  sheep 
in  New  York,  is  thus  described  by  Franklin  H.  North 
in  St.  Nicholas,  August,  1884.  "  At  one  end  of  the 
fold,  distant  only  a  few  feet  from  the  sheep,  lies  the 
collie.  Indeed,  Shep  would  not  be  at  ease  away  from 
the  sheep,  for,  though  eighteen  years  old,  he  has  lived 
among  them  from  his  infancy.  Like  many  another 
shepherd  dog,  Shep,  when  but  a  few  weeks  old,  was  put 
under  the  care  of  an  ewe  whose  lambs  had  been  taken 
from  her  to  make  room  for  him,  and  hence  he  doubtless 
feels  himself  a  sort  of  kinsman  of  the  flock.  Even  for 
a  collie,  Shep  is  unusually  sagacious,  and  in  many  in- 
stances has  shown  an  intelligence  almost  human. 

"  A  few  years  ago,  Shep  being  even  then  an  old  dog, 
an  attempt  was  made  to  supersede  him  with  a  younger 
dog  of  more  acute  hearing.  So  poor  old  Shep  was  led 
away;  and,  evidently  divining  what  was  going  on, 
showed  many  signs  of  distress.  He  was  given  to  a 
gentleman  who  owns  a  farm  in  Putnam  county,  New 
York — more  than  fifty  miles  distant  from  New  York 


254       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

city.  Arrived  at  the  farm,  Shep  was  wont  to  sit  on  the 
lawn  before  the  house  and  look  intently  in  the  direc- 
tion whence  he  had  been  brought.  Neither  the  kindly 
words  of  his  new  master  nor  the  marrowy  bones  plenti- 
fully bestowed  upon  him  by  his  mistress,  served  to 
cheer  up  his  faithful  old  heart  or  lessen  his  longing  to 
be  back  with  the  flock  he  loved  so  well. 

"  One  day  the  Park  Superintendent  came  up  to  the 
farm  on  a  visit,  and  Shep's  heart  beat  with  delight ;  for 
he  imagined,  though  wrongly,  that  it  was  for  him  that 
the  visitor  had  come.  His  new  master  took  the  su- 
perintendent out  into  a  field  to  see  some  fine  cows,  and 
Shep  followed;  but  the  cows  became  restive  at  the 
sight  of  the  dog. 

"  '  Go  home,  Shep ! '  said  his  new  master,  turning 
sharply  upon  him.  Shep,  when  he  got  this  command, 
brightened  up  immediately.  His  eyes  opened  wide  and 
his  bushy  tail,  which  had  drooped  ever  since  he  took  up 
his  new  quarters,  rose  high  in  the  air  and  curled  over 
his  back  with  its  wonted  grace.  He  understood  the 
words  of  the  order  perfectly;  but  he  knew  only  one 
*  home/  and  that  was  in  the  Central  Park  sheep-fold, 
and  with  an  alacrity  that  did  credit  to  his  good  lirhbs, 
he  bounded  off  in  the  direction  where  he  knew  it  stood. 
He  had  come  by  way  of  a  steamboat  that  landed  at 
Poughkeepsie,  and  with  a  sagacity  that  might  he  looked 
for  in  a  human  being,  but  could  hardly  be  expected  in 
the  canine  family,  he  found  his  way  at  once  to  the 
wharf.  There,  not  being  able  to  read  the  time-table 
posted  upon  the  wharf-shed,  he  sat  down  behind  some 
barrels  and  waited  patiently  for  the  boat  to  come.  But 
the  boat  started  from  the  upper  Hudson  and  did  not 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  255 

call  at  Poughkeepsie  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  Shep 
seemed  to  know  that  it  would  come  at  last,  however, 
and  he  improved  the  interval  in  taking  a  few  quiet 
dozes  under  the  shed.  When  the  boat  arrived,  almost 
the  first  passenger  to  get  aboard  was  Shep;  he  made 
the  embarkation  in  just  three  bounds,  and  forgetting 
all  about  buying  a  ticket,  hid  himself  at  once  among 
some  great  cases  of  merchandise  lying  on  the  main 
deck,  where  he  remained,  composed  and  comfortable, 
during  the  journey.  The  boat,  in  due  time,  reached  the 
wharf  at  the  foot  of  West  Twenty-third  street,  New 
York  city;  and,  as  may  be  imagined,  Shep  did  not 
tarry  on  the  way  between  the  wharf  and  the  Central 
Park.  Long  before  his  fellow-passengers  had  their  lug- 
gage safely  landed,  Shep  had  reached  the  fold  and  was 
being  hailed  by  the  sheep  with  unmistakable  evidences 
of  delight.  And  from  that  day,  the  Park  Superintend- 
ent, Mr.  Conklin,  a  warm-hearted  man,  would  not  per- 
mit any  one  to  remove  the  faithful  collie  from  the  fold. 

"  Shep,  much  to  his  disappointment,  found  another 
and  a  younger  dog  in  his  former  position  of  protector 
of  the  flock,  but  he  was  at  once  appointed  as  instructor 
to  the  young  dog." 

The  writer  adds  this  good  story  about  the  younger 
Shep ;  "  Sheep  dogs,  like  old  Shep  and  young  Shep, 
rarely  get  bones,  and  consequently,  when  they  do  have 
the  good  fortune  to  receive  such  a  delicacy,  they  are  in- 
clined to  take  very  good  care  of  it. 

"  Young  Shep,  when  he  had  picked  the  bone  to  his 
complete  satisfaction  for  the  time,  used  to  dig  a  hole 
in  the  yard,  and  put  the  bone  in  it,  thus  making  pro- 
vision in  time  of  plenty  for  a  possible  famine  in  the 


256       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

future.  Seeing  this,  old  Shep,  who,  if  he  is  losing  his 
hearing,  is  by  no  means  parting  with  his  scent,  got 
into  the  habit  of  going  about  the  yard  in  want  of  a 
nibble,  and  digging  up  the  youngster's  favorite  bones. 
This  was  too  much  for  young  Shep,  and  he  set  himself 
to  outwit  the  learned  canine  professor.  Being  given  an 
unusually  delicious  and  delicate  chicken-bone  one  day, 
just  after  his  dinner,  he  looked  around  for  a  safe  de- 
pository until  his  appetite  should  return  and  he  could 
enjoy  the  feast  to  his  heart's  content.  As  said  before, 
young  Shep  is  a  thinking  dog,  and  it  did  not  take  him 
long  to  hit  upon  a  plan  by  which  the  voracious  appetite 
of  his  revered  instructor  might  be  foiled — at  least  in 
so  far  as  the  appropriation  of  his  junior's  property  was 
concerned. 

"  He  first  dug  an  unusually  deep  pit,  scratching  away 
with  his  forepaws  for  a  long  time.  In  the  bottom  of 
the  deep  hole  he  carefully  buried  the  juicy  chicken-bone, 
covering  it  with  a  good  supply  of  fresh  clay.  The  hole 
was  now  only  half  full,  and  young  Shep  was  seen 
searching  the  yard  from  end  to  end.  Finally  he  found 
what  he  sought!  It  was  an  old  bone  that  had  been 
picked  clean  and  even  the  edges  of  which  had  been 
nibbled  off.  This  he  carried  over  to  the  newly  made 
hole,  into  which  he  dropped  it,  covering  it  in  turn  with 
a  bountiful  supply  of  clay. 

'  The  next  day  old  Shep  bethought  him  that  he 
would  like  a  good  bone  to  nibble.  So  he  searched  about 
the  yard.  The  newly  turned  earth  assured  him  that  a 
bone  was  below,  and  his  nose  affirmed  it.  He  went  to 
work  with  a  will,  and  his  labors  were  soon  rewarded  by 
the  sight  of  a  bone.  But  such  a  bone!  No  meat  ad- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  257 

hered  to  its  sides,  and  it  was  almost  white  in  some 
places  from  exposure  to  the  weather.  Old  Shep  just 
toyed  with  it  for  a  few  moments  and  then  carried  it  to 
the  farther  end  of  the  yard,  where  he  dropped  it. 
Meantime,  young-  Shep  had  come  to  the  door  of  the  fold 
and  had  seen  what  was  going  on  with  ill-concealed 
anxiety.  No  sooner  had  Shep  retired  from  the  vicinity 
of  the  hole,  however,  than  the  younger  dog  was  there, 
digging  with  all  his  might;  and  a  few  minutes  later 
old  Shep,  at  the  other  end  of  the  yard,  saw  him  extract 
from  the  same  hole  where  he  himself  had  been  digging, 
a  fine,  juicy  chicken-bone,  that  almost  made  his  mouth 
water." 

Old  Shep  used  to  count  the  sheep  at  night,  stand- 
ing at  the  gate  of  the  fold  and  touch  each  one  with  his 
fore-paw  as  it  passed  in.  If  one  was  missing  he  always 
knew  it,  and  rushed  off  after  it,  and  brought  it  back. 
Young  Shep  was  finally  taken  away  from  the  park  by 
his  owner,  and  the  dog  at  present,  March,  1900,  with 
the  sheep  was  given  about  a  year  ago  by  Hon.  W.  R. 
Grace. 

A  bird  dog  and  a  Newfoundland  are  owned  re- 
spectively by  Mrs.  Taylor  and  Mrs.  Murray  of  Rock- 
ton,  N.  Y.  Both  animals  are  devoted  to  Mrs. 
Taylor's  four-year-old  boy.  Recently,  one  morn- 
ing Frank,  the  bird  dog  came  to  his  mistress  and 
pulled  at  her  dress.  As  she  paid  no  attention,  the  dog 
went  upstairs  to  the  bed  of  the  little  boy,  and  pulled 
his  nightclothes  to  wake  him  up.  Then  he  went  down- 
stairs and  ran  to  the  front  door  barking.  Mrs.  Taylor, 
thinking  that  something  must  be  wrong,  opened  the 
door,  and  followed  her  dog.  They  soon  found  the  New- 


258       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

foundland  with  his  foot  caught  fast  in  some  stone 
work  from  which  he  could  not  extricate  it.  Both  dogs 
followed  her  into  the  house,  and  remained  for  several 
hours,  as  though  to  show  their  gratitude. 

Pearson's  Magazine  has  the  following  interesting 
story.  Squire  Rutlandshire  lost  two  hunting  dogs, 
and  made  up  his  mind  that  they  had  been  stolen.  After 
a  long  time  they  returned,  thin  and  miserable.  A 
neighbor  who  was  hunting,  came  across  a  broken  bank, 
where  his  dogs  seemed  uneasy  at  a  hole  in  the  ground. 
They  would  not  leave  the  place,  until  he  procured  a 
spade  and  began  to  dig.  Eight  feet  of  earth  was 
cleared  away,  when  he  discovered  the  dogs  of  his 
neighbor,  where  they  had  been  buried  by  the  bank 
caving  in,  when  they  were  digging  for  a  rabbit,  prob- 
ably. They  had  been  confined  for  thirteen  days,  and 
were  nearly  starved.  The  rescuing  dogs  followed  the 
rescued  home,  and  prompt  attention  saved  their  lives. 

In  England  dogs  are  often  used  as  collectors  for 
charitable  institutions.  Leo,  a  St.  Bernard,  collects  for 
the  Cork  Women  and  Children's  Hospital.  Since  1892 
he  has  taken  in  £2,500.  Leo  knows  his  own  bank  and 
pays  his  money  regularly. 

Schnapsie,  a  dachshund,  the  property  ol  Mrs.  Her- 
bert Allingham,  25  Grosvenor  Square,  London,  has 
collected  for  children  at  the  Great  Northern  Central 
Hospital  and  for  other  charities  about  £1,500.  The 
cot  in  the  hospital  will  be  called  "  Doggie's  Cot "  in 
the  Duchess  of  York's  ward.  He  is  assisted  by  Dai 
Mikado,  a  Japanese  spaniel,  who  recently  collected  £3 
at  a  children's  afternoon  party.  Tim,  an  Irish  Airedale 
terrier,  collects  for  the  Widows'  and  Orphans'  Fund  on 


SCHNAPSIE. 

Owned  by  Mrs.  Herbert  Allingham,  London,  England. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  259 

the  platform  at  Paddington  Station.  Jack,  a  yellow  re- 
triever, collects  for  orphans,  on  the  Basingstoke  Station 
platform.  Spot,  of  Salisbury,  has  collected  in  two 
years  for  various  charities  25,166  coins,  which  he  has 
picked  up  himself  and  put  in  his  box.  Joe,  the  Folkes- 
tone collector,  has  added  over  £21  to  the  Hospital.  A 
toy  spaniel  collects  on  Hospital  Saturday  at  Charing 
Cross  railway  station.  Pat,  the  "  Pet  of  Southsea,"  a 
collie,  for  over  three  years  has  collected  for  the  Royal 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  The 
latter  seems  especially  appropriate  work  for  dogs. 

"  I  was  once  staying  with  Lord  Kinnaird  at  hi z  seat 
in  Scotland,"  says  an  exchange,  "  when  his  Lordship 
expressed  a  wish  that  I  should  see  some  of  his  prize 
sheep,  which  were  then  feeding  with  some  hundreds 
more  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  about  three  miles  from  the 
house.  Calling  his  shepherd  he  kindly  asked  him  to 
have  the  prize  sheep  fetched  up  as  quickly  as  he  could. 
The  shepherd  whistled,  when  a  fine  old  sheep-dog  ap- 
peared before  him,  and,  seated  on  his  hindquarters,  evi- 
dently awaited  orders.  What  passed  between  the  shep- 
herd and  the  dog  I  know  not,  but  the  faithful  creature 
manifestly  understood  his'  instructions. 

"  Do  you  believe  that  the  dog  will  bring  the  sheep 
to  us  out  of  your  flock?  "  I  asked. 

"  Wait  awhile,  and  you  will  see,"  said  his  lordship. 
The  dog  now  darted  off  towards  the  sheep,  at  the  same 
time  giving  a  significant  bark,  which  immediately  called 
forth  two  younger  sheep  dogs  to  join  in  the  mission. 
Accustomed  as  I  was  to  the  remarkable  sagacity  of 
collie  dogs,  I  was  amazed  at  what  now  took  place.  On 
one  side  of  the  hill  was  a  river,  on  the  other  side  a  dense 


260       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

forest.  One  of  the  younger  dogs,  on  arriving  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill  turned  to  the  left,  while  the  other  darted 
off  to  the  right.  The  former  stationed  himself  between 
the  sheep  and  the  forest,  while  the  latter  stood  between 
the  sheep  and  the  river.  The  old  dog  now  darted  into 
the  middle  of  the  flock,  when  the  sheep  scampered  right 
and  left,  but  were  kept  at  bay  by  the  two  watchers. 
The  old  dog^  speedily  singled  out  the  particular  sheep 
desired  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  three  dogs  were 
quietly  driving  them  towards  us;  within  about  an  hour 
of  receiving  the  instructions  the  dogs  brought  the  sheep 
up  to  the  door  of  the  mansion." 

"  This  is  a  true  story.  The  dog  lived  in  Algiers. 
This  dog  was  clever  about  doing  things.  He  was 
taught  to  go  every  morning  to  the  baker's,  and  bring 
back  a  basket  containing  twelve  rolls  of  bread.  He 
was  an  honest  dog,  and  never  ate  any  of  the  bread. 
But  one  morning  they  could  only  find  eleven  rolls  in  the 
basket.  Had  any  thief  stolen  a  roll?  This  happened 
more  than  once,  so  they  watched  the  dog.  They  were 
much  astonished  to  find  that  on  his  return  from  the 
shop  this  kind-hearted  dog  passed  a  dark  corner,  where 
a  poor  suffering  dog,  with  her  starving  puppies,  lay 
quite  helpless,  and  that  he  gave  her  one  of  the  rolls. 
As  he  did  this  each  morning  the  baker  was  told  to  send 
thirteen  rolls,  and  the  dog  continued  to  bring  home 
twelve.  Presently  he  brought  home  thirteen,  and  they 
judged  from  this  that  his  poor  friend  was  quite  well 
again  and  able  to  earn  her  own  living." 

A  correspondent  of  The  London  Spectator  sends  the 
following  from  Calgary,  in  Alberta: 

"  My  dog,  a  half-retriever,  half-setter,  has  been  with 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  261 

me  for  six  years  since  I  rescued  him  as  a  puppy  with  a 
can  on  his  tail.  He  has  followed  me  constantly,  and 
though  always  very  friendly  with  everybody,  has  been 
devoted  to  me  both,  indoors  and  out.  Lately  a  change 
has  come  over  him ;  he  would  come  into  my  room  when 
called,  but  would  take  the  first  opportunity  to  go  out. 

"  He  seemed  to  be  dull,  to  have  lost  his  old  joyous- 
ness  in  our  companionship.  Last  fall  my  children  went 
to  England,  and  I  thought  he  missed  them.  He  would 
leave  my  room  to  lie  under  the  kitchen  table,  and  would 
follow  the  hired  boy  about  the  place,  so  I  told  the  house- 
keeper to  keep  him  out  of  the  kitchen,  and  the  boy  to 
take  no  notice  of  him.  It  made  no  difference.  Forbid- 
den the  kitchen,  he  would  leave  my  room  and  lie  in  the 
hall. 

"  He  had  always  been  accustomed  to  follow  me  al- 
most everywhere,  whether  riding  or  driving;  but  this 
year,  thinking  the  journey  to  town  (sixteen  miles)  and 
back  too  much  for  him,  I  had  left  him  at  the  ranch 
when  going  to  town.  Last  Saturday  I  was  driving  to 
town,  the  dog  started  to  follow,  and  as  the  boy  was 
going  to  send  him  back  I  said :  '  Oh,  never  mind ;  let 
him  come,'  and  he  came  with  us. 

"  Now  the  whole  mystery  is  explained.  On  our  re- 
turn the  dog  quite  resumed  his  old  habits.  The  change 
was  extraordinary.  He  comes  into  my  room  and  stays 
there  as  a  matter  of  course ;  he  greets  me  every  morning 
on  coming  down  stairs;  he  jumps  around  in  the  old 
joyous  fashion  when  I  go  out — in  fact,  is  himself  again. 
Evidently  the  trip  to  town  was  one  of  his  most  cher- 
ished privileges,  and  he  took  his  own  way  to  show  that 
he  had  no  use  for  a  master  who  deprived  him  of  it." 


262       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

This  pretty  story  is  told  of  the  grandson  of  Robert 
Louis  Stevenson  and  a  Skye  terrier : 

"  The  last  that  was  seen  of  Mr.  Stevenson,  before 
the  seizure  which  terminated  in  his  death,  he  was  laugh- 
ing on  the  porch  with  his  wife's  grandson,  over  little 
Austin's  French  lesson.  Now,  when  this  same  Austin 
Strong  was  a  baby,  one  night  his  parents  were  invited 
out  to  dine  at  the  house  of  an  intimate  friend.  They 
took  their  child  with  them,  and  when  they  went  down 
stairs  to  the  table,  they  left  him  asleep  on  the  lounge  in 
the  hostess's  dressing  room.  In  the  family  of  this 
hostess  was  a  very  bright  pet  dog.  On  this  occasion 
Zoe — for  that  was  her  name — surpassed  herself.  When 
the  baby's  mother  came  back  up  stairs  to  look  after 
him,  she  found  him  still  asleep  on  the  lounge.  But 
beside  him  on  his  pillow  was  carefully  laid  a  bone.  Evi- 
dently Zoe  had  concluded,  in  her  sage,  canine  mind,  that 
he  was  neglected  at  this  dinner  hour,  which  always 
meant  some  tidbit,  even  for  her.  And  so  she  had 
brought  him  something  of  her  own  to  eat." 

Lippincott's  Magazine  tells  this  story  of  a  dog  who 
could  count :  ^.^ 

"  A  high  bred  collie  received  an  injury  a  year  or 
so  ago  through  which  she  became  permanently  and 
totally  blind.  Recently  she  gave  birth  to  a  litter  of  six 
puppies,  all  of  which  were  uniform  in  size  and  in  mark- 
ings. Immediately  after  the  birth  of  the  puppies,  the 
dog's  owner  had  mother  and  young  removed  from 
the  dark  cellar  in  which  they  then  were,  and  carried  to 
a  warm  well-ventilated  room  in  his  stables.  In  the 
darkness  of  the  cellar  one  of  the  puppies  was  overlooked 
and  left  behind.  As  soon  as  the  mother  entered  the 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  263 

box  in  which  her  young  had  been  placed,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  them,  nosing  them  about  and  lick- 
ing them.  Suddenly  she  appeared  to  become  very 
much  disturbed  about  something;  she  jumped  out  of  the 
box  and  then  jumped  back  again,  nosing  the  puppies  as 
before.  Again  she  jumped  from  the  box  and  then  made 
her  way  toward  the  cellar,  followed  by  her  astonished 
owner,  who  had  begun  to  have  an  inkling  as  to  what 
disturbed  her.  She  had  counted  her  young  ones,  and 
had  discovered  that  one  had  been  left  behind.  Sure 
enough,  the  abandoned  puppy  was  soon  found  and  car- 
ried in  triumph  to  the  new  home. 

"  So  astonished  was  the  gentleman  at  this  blind  crea- 
ture's intelligence  that  he  resolved  to  experiment  fur- 
ther. He  removed  another  puppy  and  held  it  in  his 
arms.  It  was  not  long  before  the  blind  mother  showed 
her  distress  so  plainly  that  her  lost  young  one  was  re- 
stored to  her." 

The  Youth's  Companion  gives  this  story  from  the 
diary  of  Sir  M.  E.  Grant  Duff : 

"  The  clergyman  has  a  small  dog,  which  would  de- 
light your  soul.  It  is  accustomed  to  sleep  with  his 
children,  but  never  knows  in  whose"  bed,  as  they  fight 
for  it  every  night.  One  evening  all  the  household  had 
gone  out,  leaving  their  supper,  consisting  of  meat  pies 
and  little  cakes,  on  the  kitchen  table.  When  they  re- 
turned the  eatables  had  entirely  disappeared.  When 
the  children  went  to  bed,  however,  each  child  found, 
under  its  counterpane,  a  meat  pie  and  a  little  cake.  In 
its  uncertainty  as  to  its  resting-place,  the  dog  had  de- 
termined to  be  prepared  for  all  emergencies." 
,  "I  am  sure,"  says  a  correspondent  of  The  Boston 


264       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Transcript,  "  you  will  enjoy  this  story  of  a  dog's  in- 
telligence, which  has  the  merit  of  being  absolutely  true. 
Schneider  was  a  large,  full-blooded,  handsome  setter. 
He  was  very  fond  of  being  with  the  boys,  and  one  day 
they  took  him  when  they  were  going  bathing.  They 
bathed  in  a  pond  which  was  crossed  by  a  railroad 
bridge  carrying  one  track.  While  the  boys  bathed, 
Schneider  sat  on  the  track  and  watched  them.  Sud- 
denly, to  the  horror  of  the  boys,  a  train  appeared ;  there 
was  no  time  for  the  dog  to  get  off  the  bridge,  and  it 
was  too  high  for  him  to  jump.  The  boys  turned  away 
to  avoid  the  sight  of  the  dog's  death,  and  after  the  train 
had  passed,  looked  about  with  a  shudder  at  what  they 
expected  to  behold.  To  their  amazement  the  dog 
trotted  off  the  bridge  entirely  unhurt.  The  engineer 
of  the  train  explained  afterward  how  the  dog  had  es- 
caped. As  the  train  approached,  Schneider  evidently 
saw  that  his  situation  was  desperate,  and  quickly 
thought  out  his  only  way  of  safety.  He  stepped  over 
the  rail  to  the  projecting  ends  of  the  sleepers,  laid  him- 
self down  as  flat  as  he  possibly  could,  and  let  the  train 
pass  over  him.  The  engineer  saw  it  all,  and  as  the  train 
passed  he  looked  back  and  saw  that  the  lowest  step  just 
grazed  the  dog's  back.  Could  a  human  being  have 
reasoned  more  correctly  and  acted  more  quickly  than 
the  dog?" 

"  When  the  reserves  were  called  out  in  Greece  in 
1897,"  says  the  London  Daily  News,  "  many  poor  sol- 
diers had  to  leave  a  dog  unprovided  for.  One  owner- 
less animal  found  a  means  of  turning  an  honest  penny. 
He  used  to  visit  a  cafe  under  the  arcade  of  Corfu,  and 
beg,  until  some  one  gave  him  a  pendura  (Greek  half- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  265 

penny),  which  he  promptly  carried  to  the  counter,  and 
'exchanged  for  a  cake.  Those  who  frequented  the  cafe 
dubbed  him  '  Patata/  and  were  very  good  to  him,  as 
Greeks  generally  are  to  animals." 

Book-Bits  has  the  following  incident : 

"  One  summer  afternoon  a  group  of  children  were 
playing  at  the  end  of  a  pier  which  projects  into  Lake 
Ontario,  near  Kingston.  The  proverbir. .  careless  child 
of  the  party  made  the  proverbial  step  backward  from 
the  pier  into  the  water.  None  of  his  companions 
could  save  him,  and  their  cries  brought  no  one  from  the 
shore,  when  just  as  he  was  sinking  for  the  third  time, 
a  superb  Newfoundland  dog  rushed  down  the  pier  into 
the  water,  and  pulled  the  boy  out.  Those  of  the  chil- 
dren who  did  not  accompany  the  boy  home,  took  the 
dog  to  a  confectioner's  on  the  shore,  and  fed  him  with 
as  great  a  variety  of  cakes  and  other  sweets  as  he  could 
eat.  The  next  afternoon  the  same  group  of  children 
were  playing  in  the  same  place,  when  the  canine  hero  of 
the  day  before  came  trotting  down  to  them  with  the 
most  friendly  wags  and  nods.  There  being  no  occa- 
sion this  time  for  supplying  him  with  delicacies,  the 
children  only  stroked  and  patted  him.  The  dog,  how- 
ever, had  not  come  out  of  pure  sociability.  A  child  in 
the  water  and  candy  and  cakes  stood  to  him  in  the 
close  and  obvious  relation  of  cause  and  effect,  and  if 
this  relation  was  not  clear  to  the  children  he  resolved 
to  impress  it  upon  them.  Watching  his  chance,  he 
crept  up  behind  the  child  who  was  standing  nearest  to 
the  edge  of  the  pier,  gave  a  sudden  push,  which  sent 
him  into  the  water,  then  sprang  in  after  him  and 
gravely  brought  him  to  shore." 


266       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  An  incident  which  would  seem  to  prove  that  a  dog 
learns  to  understand  the  language  of  his  country  was 
related  by  one  willing  to  vouch  for  its  truth,"  says  The 
Philadelphia  American,  and  this  is  the  story : 

"  A  dog  had  come  to  be  very  old  in  a  family  in  a 
country  village.  One  of  the  family  remarked  on  a 
certain  day,  as  the  dog  lay  in  the  room : 

"  '  I  think  Sancho  ought  to  be  put  out  of  the  way. 
He  is  only  a  nuisance  now.' 

"  That  afternoon  Sancho  disappeared,  and  as  the 
days  passed  did  not  return.  In  the  course  of  a  week  a 
neighbor  said :  '  I  see  that  your  dog  is  up  at  the  poor- 
house.'  On  inquiry  it  was  learned  that  Sancho,  hav- 
ing called  at  the  poorhouse  and  been  kindly  received, 
had  continued  on  as  a  guest.  And  ever  after,  although 
he  sometimes  made  a  brief  call  at  his  old  home,  he 
lived  at  the  town  farm,  and  there  peacefully  ended  his 
dog's  life." 

The  London  Spectator  publishes  the  following: 

"  Several  years  ago  I  had  a  beloved  mongrel  fox 
terrier  named  Joe.  We  were  staying  some  months  at 
Penzance,  and  the  dog  went  everywhere  with  us,  and 
knew  the  place  well.  One  day  we  were,  as  usual  in  t'.ie 
afternoon,  on  the  club  tennis  ground,  when  the  Secre- 
tary came  up  and  warned  me  that  on  the  following  day, 
as  there  was  to  be  a  tournament,  no  dogs  would  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  inclosure.  I  promised  to  shut  Joe  up  at 
home.  That  evening  we  missed  the  dog,  and  in  the 
morning  also  he  was  not  to  be  seen.  When  we  went  to 
look  on  at  the  tournament  in  the  afternoon  we  found 
Joe  waiting  for  us;  the  ground  man  told  us  that  the 
dog  had  been  there  all  night,  and  would  not  allow  him- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  267 

self  to  be  caught.  He  had  never  slept  out  before,  and 
he  certainly  must  have  understood  what  was  said. 

"  We  often  used  to  say,  '  We  will  drive  to  such  a 
place  to-day,  but  Joe  must  stay  home,'  and  almost 
invariably,  in  whatever  direction  it  might  be,  before 
we  had  driven  a  mile,  we  found  Joe  waiting  for  us 
by  the  roadside;  he  always  grinned  when  we  came  up 
with  him." 

"  Isaac  Banes,  the  Pennsylvania  railroad's  freight 
agent  at  Bristol,"  says  the  Philadelphia  Record,  "  is  the 
owner  of  a  very  intelligent  setter  dog.  About  a  month 
ago,  while  he  was  frisking  about  the  yards,  some 
freight  fell  on  him,  breaking  two  of  his  legs.  Mr. 
Barnes  had  the  animal's  legs  set  in  splints,  and,  in 
order  to  keep  him  quiet,  had  the  dog  placed  in  a  box 
filled  with  straw.  Then  the  fertile  brain  of  the  freight 
agent  gave  birth  to  a  brilliant  idea.  He  procured  half 
a  dozen  eggs,  and,  knowing  it  would  be  several  weeks 
before  the  dog  would  be  able  to  leave  his  quarters, 
he  placed  the  eggs  in  the  straw  under  the  dog's  body, 
and  proceeded  to  await  developments.  At  the  termina- 
tion of  three  weeks  six  tiny  chickens  made  their  ap- 
pearance, and  all  are  doing  finely.  The  dog  seems 
very  fond  of  his  proteges,  and  guards  them  with  jealous 
care." 

"  A.  N.  Honeywell  of  Port  Chester  has  a  valuable 
dog  noted  for  his  intelligence,"  says  the  New  York 
Times. 

"  Yesterday,  a  neighbor  of  Mr.  Honeywell  dropped 
her  pocketbook  in  the  snow  while  getting  into  her 
carriage.  She  did  not  discover  her  loss  until  she  had 
reached  her  destination,  and  a  thorough  search  of  the 


268       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

vehicle  failed  to  find  the  purse.  She  gave  it  up  as  lost, 
but  was  agreeably  surprised  to  have  Mr.  Honeywell 
return  it  to  her  later  in  the  day.  The  dog  had  found 
it  in  the  snow  and  carried  it  in  his  mouth  to  his  master. 
The  purse  contained  a  large  sum  of  money  and  the 
owner's  card." 

"  Mary's  little  lamb  has  a  modern  rival  in  '  Pro- 
fessor Jack  Cook,'  who,"  according  to  the  Chicago 
Tribune,  "  is  one  of  the  unique  features  of  the  Oak 
Park  public  school.  Jack  is  a  dog,  and  every  day  he 
accompanies  the  children  of  F.  W.  Cook  to  school. 
Professor  Cook  is  subjected  to  no  confinement  dur- 
ing his  stay  in  the  school  building.  He  is  allowed 
to  roam  about  the  rooms  much  as  he  in  his  wisdom 
deems  best.  He  understands  the  spirit  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  sets  an  example  of  decorum.  Every  morning 
when  the  school  bell  rings  he  sets  out  from  home,  and 
he  is  never  late  at  his  post. 

"  Never  but  twice  has  he  interfered  with  recitation 
or  made  himself  obnoxious.  Once  was  when  a  small 
vulgar  dog — a  dog  impossible  in  educated  society — 
stopped  outside  the  building  to  give  vent  to  a  series  of 
howls.  Professor  Jack  mounted  a  window  sill  and  by 
threats  induced  the  small  loafer  to  move  on  hurriedly. 
The  other  time  was  when  he  first  saw  calisthenic  exer- 
cises. His  excited  applause  on  this  occasion  brought 
him  into  temporary  disrepute,  but  after  the  matter 
had  been  sufficiently  explained  to  him  he  desisted. 
Professor  Jack's  last  report  card  showed  him  perfect 
in  deportment,  perfect  in  punctuality  and  standing  high 
in  '  science,'  upon  which  subject  he  is  supposed  to  be 
deeply  learned." 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  269 

Rex.  a  collie,  belonging  to  Mr.  W.  N.  Rogers  of 
Middletown,  N.  Y.,  says  the  World,  having  disobeyed 
his  master  by  going  to  the  armory  where  the  men 
petted  him,  was  sent  home.  He  is  never  whipped,  as 
that  breaks  the  spirit  of  a  collie,  as  indeed  of  every 
other  kind  of  dog,  but  he  is  sometimes  shut  up  in  a 
large  dark  closet,  for  wrongdoing.  As  soon  as  Rex 
reached  his  home,  he  went  straight  to  the  closet,  and 
as  no  one  was  present  to  close  the  door,  he  pulled  it 
together,  where  he  punished  himself  by  remaining 
several  hours. 

The  Cleveland  Press  of  May,  1899,  tells  of  a  three- 
year-old  girl  who  climbed  the  stairs  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
building,  her  big  Newfoundland  dog  beside  her.  "  I 
want  to  go  home,"  she  said,  but  could  not  tell  where  her 
home  was.  A  crowd  gathered  and  took  her  down  Erie 
street,  but  the  dog  did  not  go  willingly.  Three  times 
he  followed  her  and  then  ran  back  towards  Huron 
street.  The  crowd  finally  turned  and  followed  the 
dog,  who  led  them  directly  to  her  home. 

Many  engine  houses  and  police  stations  have  pet 
dogs.  Spot  belonged  to  Engine  Company  No.  30, 
Spring  street,  New  York.  Whenever  the  firebells  rang 
he  was  greatly  excited,  always  leading  the  way,  and 
barking  as  he  ran.  He  saved  the  life  of  Henry  Martin, 
foreman  from  another  company,  who  had  been  over- 
come with  smoke,  and  fallen  on  the  stairs.  The  dog 
stood  over  him  and  whined,  and,  finding  that  no  one 
came,  rushed  down  the  stairs  and  barked  till  a  fireman, 
noticing  his  peculiar  actions,  followed  him  through  the 
smoke  and  rescued  the  unconscious  man.  Spot  was 
devoted  to  Jumbo,  a  big  black  engine  horse,  and  would 


270        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

never  allow  the  engine  house  cat  to  remain  in  his  stall. 
Jumbo  and  Spot  were  very  great  friends.  Jumbo  acci- 
dentally stepped  upon  Spot  and  killed  him  instantly  in 
June,  1898,  and  the  great  creature  mourned  sincerely 
for  his  companion. 

Captain  W.  T.  Beggin  writes  me,  "  I  regret  that  we 
have  no  picture  of  Spot.  Jumbo  is  still  with  the  com- 
pany." 

Sergeant  Jack  is  a  Boston  police  dog,  who  was  home- 
less and  made  friends  with  a  policeman  one  night  on 
his  rounds.  The  Boston  Herald  gives  this  history  of 
Jack :  "  Officer  Keane  has  the  horse  route,  and,  seeing 
Jack,  and  thinking  he  might  be  thirsty,  he  took  him 
into  the  station.  He  gave  him  some  water,  and  getting 
some  scraps  of  meat  also  gave  them  to  Jack. 

"  This  was  very  pleasing  to  the  dog,  and  he  mani- 
fested his  pleasure  by  wagging  that  inevitable  appen- 
dage. Officer  Keane  and  Jack  promptly  became  fast 
friends,  and  since  that  time  he  makes  it  a  point  to  strike 
Officer  Keane's  route  at  the  usual  hour,  and  he  invaria- 
bly enjoys  a  light  repast.  Jack  has  been  affiliated  with 
police  duty  at  Station  6  for  some  little  time  now,  and 
his  interest  has  never  lagged.  Since  his  introduction 
to  the  police  department  he  has  given  up  the  friend- 
ship of  all  mere  private  citizens,  with  the  exception  of 
his  master. 

"  He  also  refused  to  recognize  officers  of  other 
divisions,  and  this  has  caused  much  comment,  as  it 
appears  strange  that  the  dog  can  tell  one  from  the  other. 
In  some  mysterious  manner  he  is  also  able  to  tell  the 
hour  of  roll  call,  and  almost  every  evening  he  is  present 
at  the  station  at  five  o'clock  to  go  on  duty  with  the 


I.   DANDY,  owned  by  Capt.  A.   S.  Paige,  Brookline,  Mass.  (p.  273). — 
2.  SERGEANT  JACK  AND  THE  BOSTON  POLICE. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  271 

men.  He  is  also  familiar  with  the  house  days,  and 
frequently  he  takes  it  upon  himself  to  perform  house 
duty,  which  to  all  police  officers  is  a  very  irksome  one. 

"  On  frequent  occasions,  while  doing  house  duty, 
Jack  has  been  seen  to  climb  upon  a  settee,  and  lying 
down  on  his  side,  stretch  out  and  enjoy  a  short  nap, 
just  as  he  has  seen  the  men  do.  The  name  Sergeant 
has  frequently  been  applied  to  Jack,  and,  in  order  that 
he  might  not  lose  his  original  name,  Patrolman 
Murphy  had  a  plate  affixed  to  Jack's  collar,  bearing 
the  inscription,  '  Jack  the  Bunker,  Station  6.' 

"  He  never  enters  a  house,  and  on  more  than  one 
occasion  the  sergeant  has  discovered  a  patrolman  who, 
perhaps,  has  entered  a  building  to  quell  a  disturbance, 
by  seeing  Jack  standing  on  the  sidewalk  outside  the 
door.  It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  the  sergeant 
was  in  search  of  an  officer,  but  he  was  unable  to  locate 
him.  Finally,  on  turning  into  a  side  street,  he  discov- 
ered Jack  standing  on  the  sidewalk  outside  the  en- 
trance to  a  building. 

"  The  sergeant  walked  down  the  street  with  a  rapid 
gait,  the  rubber  heels  on  his  shoes  giving  forth  no  sound. 
On  the  doorstep  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth,  from  which 
miniature  clouds  of  smoke  ascended,  sat  the  officer  of 
whom  he  was  in  search. 

"  This  incident,  and  the  fact  that  Jack  will  not  enter 
a  house  or  store,  has  had  a  tendency  to  keep  the  men  in 
evidence  while  Jack  is  with  them." 

"  Bow-legged  Jack  "  has  been  one  of  the  faithful 
police  of  Mamaroneck,  New  York,  for  ten  years.  When 
he  was  a  mouse-colored  puppy  he  was  taken  out  of  a 
snow  bank  by  a  kind-hearted  policeman,  and  has  shown 


272        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

his  gratitude  for  the  saving  of  his  life,  by  guarding  the 
town.  Every  night,  whether  fair  or  stormy,  he  patrols 
the  streets,  going  with  the  night  watchman.  Jack 
saved  the  life  of  Mr.  John  C.  Fairchild's  five  year  old 
son,  Winton.  While  playing  in  a  boat  in  the  bay,  the 
child  fell  overboard  and  was  drowning,  when  Jack  saw 
him,  rushed  to  his  rescue,  and  dragged  him  to  the  shore. 
When  the  license  fee  was  to  be  paid,  or  poor  Jack,  with 
other  martyrs  to  a  cruel  law,  would  be  shot,  Winton 
Fairchild,  the  boy  he  had  saved,  paid  the  dog's  license. 
Jack  also  saved  the  little  daughter  of  William  Taylor 
from  drowning. 

Seeing  a  fire  raging  in  Henry  Winter's  barn,  just  as 
it  was  about  to  reach  the  house,  Jack  gave  the  alarm  by 
his  loud  bark,  and  the  children  were  saved  and  carried 
to  a  place  of  safety.  When  a  man  attempted  to  break 
into  the  Mamaroneck  Bank,  Jack  scared  him  away, 
then  chased  and  caught  him  with  his  teeth,  till  the  con- 
stable arrived  and  made  the  man  prisoner. 

The  village  trustees  in  July,  1897,  presented  Jack 
with  a  fine  new  collar  and  a  bronze  medal  for  his  noble 
services  to  the  town. 

Sampson  and  Waldo,  two  most  intelligent  dogs, 
saved  their  owner,  Mrs.  Adah  H.  Kepley,  of  Effing- 
ham,  Illinois,  when  knocked  down  by  a  masked  man 
concealed  in  her  house.  Sampson,  the  smaller,  is  a 
mongrel,  about  twelve  years  old.  He  is  named  for 
Dominie  Sampson,  in  Scott's  works.  "  He  is  coal 
black,"  writes  Mrs.  Kepley  to  me,  March  19,  1901, 
"  and  the  queerest  compound  of  things  as  a  dog.  He 
tries  his  best  to  talk  or  at  least  to  speak  by  sound  lan- 
guage his  love. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  273 

"  Waldo  is  orange  buff,  with  white  and  black,  with 
handsome  eyes,  and  is  a  fine  fellow.  He  is  pleasant  in 
disposition  and  biddable  (which  Sampson  isn't).  He 
was  shot  in  the  left  foot."  Mrs.  Kepley  is  a  lover  of 
animals,  and  cares  for  many  homeless  ones. 

Dandy,  a  brindle  bull  terrier,  owned  by  Captain  A.  S. 
Paige  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  almost  daily  attends  court 
with  his  master.  He  is  a  most  affectionate  and  intelli- 
gent dog,  and  has  often  taken  long  walks  with  the 
author.  "  Not  long  ago,"  writes  a  friend,  "  a  bull 
dog  and  fox-terrier  were  fighting  opposite  the  police 
station.  Dandy  saw  them,  went  across,  took  hold  of 
the  bull  dog,  shook  him  and  threw  him  one  side,  then 
went  over  to  the  station  and  lay  down  on  the  steps,  the 
fox-terrier  following  and  playing  with  Dandy  most  of 
the  morning." 

The  New  York  World,  June,  1899,  tells  of  a  New- 
foundland dog  who  tried  at  Trenton  Junction  to  follow 
his  master  into  a  Baltimore  &  Ohio  train,  but  was  put 
off  by  one  of  the  men.  The  dog  ran  forward  and  un- 
observed, got  upon  the  pilot  of  the  locomotive  and  re- 
mained there  till  the  cars  reached  Jenkintown  station. 
He  then  jumped  off  and  rejoined  his  owner,  who  left 
the  train  at  that  station. 

Dogs  have  often  helped  as  detectives.  A  letter  from 
Bucharest  to  the  London  Mail  in  April,  1899,  has  this 
incident : 

"  Some  few  days  ago  the  proprietor  of  a  wine  shop 
in  the  Calea  Dorobautzilor,  one  of  the  most  populous 
of  Bucharest's  streets,  was  foully  murdered  and  robbed 
by  some  person,  who  broke  into  his  dwelling,  which 
stands  behind  the  shop,  and  shot  him  through  the  head. 


274       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  In  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  police  the  murderer  had 
remained  undiscovered,  although  several  individuals 
were  arrested  on  suspicion. 

"  At  the  time  of  the  murder  the  shop  boy  was  sleep- 
ing on  a  bench  in  the  shop  and  a  dog  was  lying  at  his 
feet.  The  boy  stated  that  he  heard  the  shot,  and  shortly 
after,  as  he  lay  quaking  with  fear,  a  man  opened  the 
back  door  and  entered  the  shop.  At  that  moment  the 
dog  sprang  up  barking,  and  the  man,  who  no  doubt 
expected  to  find  no  one  in  the  shop  and  meant  to  rob  it, 
fled  out  at  the  door,  followed  by  the  barking  dog. 
Since  then  the  dog  had  not  been  seen,  although 
searched  for  on  every  side.  Yesterday  it  came  back 
alone. 

"  As  soon  as  it  arrived,  Police  Inspector  Mischi- 
mescu,  who  has  the  case  in  hand,  bethought  himself  of 
a  means  of  deciding  as  to  whether  he  had  the  real  mur- 
derer in  his  hands.  Accordingly  he  had  the  shop  ar- 
ranged just  as  it  was  on  the  fatal  night,  closed  all  shut- 
ters and  doors,  and  then  bade  the  shop  boy  lie  down 
with  the  dog. 

"  Then  one  by  one  the  '  suspects  '  were  ordered  to 
enter  the  shop.  Three  went  in  and  came  out  again 
without  the  dog  making  any  sign,  but  as  the  fourth,  a 
man  of  the  name  of  Dracu,  entered,  the  dog  leaped  at 
him,  barking  and  snarling,  and  the  man  rushed  out  of 
the  door,  still  followed  by  the  enraged  hound. 

'  Enough,'  remarked  the  inspector,  as  he  drove  off 
the  dog-detective,  and  ordered  the  attendant  gendarmes 
to  handcuff  Dracu.  It  may  be  added  that  until  being 
'  picked  out '  by  the  dog  this  man  was  the  least  sus- 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  275 

pected  among  those  arrested,  he  being  quite  a  friend  of 
the  proprietor's  family." 

In  November,  1898,  says  the  New  York  World, 
Susan  Anderson  was  murdered  in  New  Canaan,  Conn. 
Her  murderer,  an  employee,  after  three  weeks  of  self- 
torture,  burned  her  home  and  hung  himself  from  a  tree. 
When  the  woman's  pet  hound,  Dandy,  was  released,  he 
wandered  about  as  though  he  had  lost  his  best  friend. 
Then  he  went  to  a  pile  of  dirt  back  of  the  tool-house 
and  began  to  dig.  Men  went  to  the  dog's  assistance 
with  spades,  and  soon  found  the  body  of  the  murdered 
woman. 

Not  far  from  Dover,  Delaware,  some  counterfeiters 
were  detected  in  the  fall  of  1898,  says  the  New  York 
World,  by  an  ordinary  dog  belonging  to  a  woman  who 
lived  near.  The  dog  had  seen  the  two  men,  and  had 
taken  a  great  dislike  to  them.  He  was  put  on  the  trail 
and  led  the  officers  to  the  place  where  the  counterfeit 
money  was  buried. 

"  A  few  days  ago  Bertha,  the  pretty  four-year-old 
daughter  of  John  C.  Putnam,  of  the  little  settlement 
of  Mill  Village,  Vt,  disappeared/'  says  Our  Dumb 
Animals  for  February,  1897.  "All  the  neighbors 
joined  in  the  search  for  her.  Night  and  day  the  hunt 
was  continued,  but  not  a  trace  of  the  little  one  could  be 
discovered.  The  parents  were  in  despair.  It  was 
feared  that  the  child  had  been  kidnapped.  Finally, 
the  father,  in  desperation,  suggested  that  the  State 
bloodhound  Pilot  could  find  some  trace.  Anxious  to 
do  anything  that  would  in  the  least  relieve  the  father's 
mind,  the  officials  took  the  dog  to  Mill  Village. 


276       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  The  dog  was  then  given  a  tiny  shoe  that  had  been 
worn  by  the  child  the  day  before  she  disappeared. 
This  he  held  in  his  mouth  for  a  minute.  Then  he 
dropped  it  and  sniffed  the  air.  He  seemed  puzzled 
and  the  knowing  ones  were  beginning  to  remark  that 
they  knew  the  hound  would  not  be  of  any  use. 

"  It  really  seemed  as  if  the  animal  understood  their 
words,  for  he  suddenly  put  his  nose  to  the  ground  and 
was  off  like  a  shot,  dragging  his  keepers  after  him. 
On  he  went,  crossing  roads,  fields  and  timber  stretches, 
until  he  reached  '  Devil's  Camp,'  a  point  about  a  mile 
below  Rutland,  where  there  is  a  small  mill  stream. 
Here  the  animal  suddenly  brought  up  at  the  edge  of 
the  water,  gave  one  long  bark,  and  refused  to  go 
further. 

"  Then  the  men  got  to  work.  They  procured  hooks 
and  poles,  and  the  bed  of  the  stream  was  thoroughly 
searched.  All  this  time  Pilot,  stood  by  the  water  side, 
though  attempts  were  made  to  drag  him  away.  For  the 
first  time  since  he  had  been  in  the  state  he  refused  to 
obey  the  voice  of  his  keeper.  Toward  night  the  body 
of  the  missing  child  was  found.  As  it  was  drawn  to 
the  shore,  Pilot  sprang  forward,  took  the  dress  in  its 
mouth,  and  raising  the  child  as  tenderly  as  though  it 
had  been  in  its  mother's  arms,  trotted  back  to  the  house, 
the  long  line  of  searchers  following." 

'  Joe  Hart,'  a  liver-colored  pointer  with  white  feet, 
chest,  and  white  ring  about  his  neck,"  says  Our  Dumb 
Animals,  October,  1899,  "  belongs  to  Mr.  E.  H.  Hart, 
Baggage  Master  at  the  Union  Depot,  Meridian,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  is  called  '  Assistant  Baggage  Master '  by 
all  the  railroad  men  who  run  into  that  city. 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  277 

"Joe  knows  perhaps  over  100  tricks,  and  never  for- 
gets anything  taught  him,  although  months  may  elapse 
before  he  is  called  upon  to  perform  some  feat  learned  in 
the  past. 

"  He  seems  to  understand  perfectly  every  command 
given  by  his  master,  besides  performing  all  the 
ordinary  tricks  (such  as  sitting  in  a  chair,  giving  right 
or  left  paw,  bringing  any  object  whatever  to  his  master, 
leading  a  horse  or  riding  him,  carrying  notes,  bringing 
his  master's  slippers,  then  replacing  them);  besides  he 
hunts  for  his  master's  key  at  a  whisper  in  his  ear,  shuts 
the  door,  knows  red  paper  from  white,  seats  himself 
on  the  scales  when  asked  how  much  he  weighs,  knows 
an  apple  from  an  orange,  and  knows  every  member  of 
the  family  (eight  in  number)  by  name.  Joe  really 
thinks  that  he  is  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company 
and  meets  all  of  the  day  trains  promptly  and  is  particu- 
larly attentive  to  the  ladies,  especially  if  they  happen  to 
carry  a  lunch  basket.  Anything  belonging  to  his  master 
he  guards  as  a  sacred  trust  and  none  dare  molest.  The 
children  are  quite  fond  of  him,  and  together  they 
spend  many  happy  hours  in  the  twilight  after  he  returns 
from  the  '  office.' 

"Joe's  playmate  is  a  magnificent  Gladstone  setter, 
Don,  and  it  is  quite  amusing  to  see  him  kiss  Don  when 
told  to  do  so. 

"  When  Joe's  master  is  ill  the  dog  can't  be  persuaded 
to  leave  the  bedside,  but  lies  there  constantly,  only 
occasionally  rising  to  try  and  kiss  his  master's  hand. 

"  When  Joe  was  carried  to  have  his  picture  taken 
for  The  Southern  Fancier,  the  photographer  said :  '  I 
do  not  take  pictures  of  dogs,  for  they  will  not  sit  still 


278       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  are  too  much  trouble.'  However,  being  prevailed 
upon  to  break  his  rule  in  this  instance,  Joe  was  com- 
manded to  sit  up  in  the  chair  for  his  picture. 

"  No  doubt  he  felt  insulted  by  the  photographer's 
insinuation  that  he  hadn't  sense  enough  to  sit  for  his 
picture,  for  there  he  sat,  immovable  as  stone,  until  he 
was  told  to  get  down. 

"  If  you  ever  visit  Meridian,  Joe  Hart  will  greet  you 
at  the  depot  with  a  kindly  wag  of  the  tail,  and  should 
you  carry  a  lunch  basket  he  will  be  your  constant 
attendant  until  you  leave,  or  the  contents  of  the  basket 
are  '  non  est.' 

"  A  book  might  be  written  about  this  remarkable 
dog." 

Mr.  Fred  L.  Rowe,  the  Managing  Editor  of  the 
Christian  Leader,  writes  as  follows  to  Mr.  Angell : 

"CINCINNATI,  OHIO,  Dec.  n,  1896. 
"  DEAR  SIR  :  While  taking  a  short  stage  trip  between 
Monticello  and  Burnside,  Ky.,  I  rode  with  the  driver. 
At  a  midway  point  on  our  trip  I  noticed  ahead  of  us  a 
young  kitten,  and  was  also  surprised  that  it  did  not 
move  as  we  approached  it.  The  cat  was  too  young  to 
realize  its  danger,  and  when  we  were  almost  upon  it, 
a  large  dog,  which  had  been  standing  watching  some 
men  at  work,  saw  the  kitten  and  leaped  into  the  middle 
of  the  road.  He  hesitated  a  moment,  apparently  reali- 
zing that  his  sharp  teeth  might  hurt  it.  Then  jumping 
behind  the  kitten,  he  literally  boosted  it  out  of  the  road 
with  his  nose,  and  when  it  was  out  of  danger,  returned 
to  watching  the  men." 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  279 

The  San  Jose  Mercury  tells  this  story  of  Fido,  an 
Irish  setter,  the  paid  employe  of  a  railroad:  When  a 
puppy  he  was  picked  up  in  the  yards  of  the  Chicago, 
Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  Road,  and  cared  for  by  the 
company. 

"  For  three  years  Fido  received  his  pay  from  the 
company  every  month.  His  name  was  on  the  pay- 
master's books  just  like  those  of  other  employes,  and 
when  Paymaster  James  M.  Wentworth  made  his  regu- 
lar paying-off  rounds  to  the  company's  office  there  was 
always  an  envelope  for  Fido.  In  fact,  Fido  would  take 
his  place  among  the  employes  on  these  occasions,  march 
up  to  Paymaster  Wentworth  when  the  latter  called  his 
name,  place  his  front  paws  upon  the  table,  grin  compla- 
cently, wag  his  tail  knowingly,  receive  the  usual  fond- 
ling from  the  paymaster  and  then  depart  from  the  office 
with  the  others. 

"  The  dog's  envelope  was  always  turned  over  to 
Agent  A.  E.  Kennedy,  who  was  Fido's  banker,  as  well 
as  his  guardian,  and  always  provided  for  his  wants  with 
a  lavish  hand.  He  never  touched  the  dog's  accumula- 
tions of  money,  however.  This  account  had  grown  to  a 
considerable  figure  for  a  dog's  wealth,  and  Mr.  Kennedy 
will  now  devote  the  money,  with  other  sums  to  be  con- 
tributed by  Fido's  hosts  of  friends,  to  the  erection  of 
a  stone  slab  in  commemoration  of  the  dog's  faithful 
service  to  the  road. 

"  It  is  interesting  to  know  how  Fido  came  to  be  on 
the  pay  roll.  He  saved  the  road  once  from  a  possible 
lawsuit  that  might  have  grown  out  of  an  accident 
which  would  have  happened,  and  would  have  been  fatal 


280       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

had  it  not  been  for  Fido.  It  was  this  feat  of  the  dog 
that  first  brought  him  to  the  attention  of  the  high 
officials  of  the  company,  and  won  for  him  a  place  on  the 
pay  sheet. 

"  Fido,  shortly  after  entering  the  railroad  business, 
developed  a  singular  attachment  for  locomotive  No.  50, 
that  is  used  in  switching.  He  was  always  with  the 
engine.  In  a  short  time  he  learned  the  various  switch- 
ing signals  and  began  to  run  alongside  and  ahead  of  the 
locomotive  during  working  hours.  Engineer  Joseph 
Hermes  came  to  consider  Fido  as  good  a  flagman  as 
the  next  one.  The  dog  would  flag  crossings  with 
the  intelligence  of  a  man. 

"  About  three  years  ago  Fido  was  running  ahead, 
as  was  his  custom,  to  flag  Wabansia  avenue  crossing. 
A  peddler  was  approaching  the  crossing.  The  dog  was 
fifty  yards  ahead  of  the  engine,  and  in  dog  fashion  he 
warned,  or  tried  to  warn,  the  peddler  of  danger.  The 
peddler,  however,  paid  no  attention  to  the  dog,  but  kept 
on.  Just  as  he  got  within  three  feet  of  the  track  Fido 
jumped  up  and  knocked  him  back  prostrate.  A  moment 
later  the  engine  passed.  But  for  the  dog  the  peddler 
would  have  been  killed.  Fido  then  ran  ahead  as  if 
nothing  had  happened. 

"  W.  G.  Brimson  was  then  president  of  the  road,  and 
when  he  heard  the  story  from  General  Superintendent 
Richey,  Fido  was  placed  on  the  company's  pay  roll. 

'  Two  years  ago  Fido  caused  a  small  riot  in  the 
yards.  A  dog  catcher  had  him  in  tow  and  was  about  to 
take  him  to  the  pound.  One  of  the  office  boys  of  the 
company,  however,  recognized  the  dog,  jumped  from 
his  bicycle  and  went  to  the  rescue.  The  boy  caught 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  281 

Fido  by  the  neck,  and  the  catcher,  a  big,  burly  fellow, 
was  trying  to  unloose  him.  It  was  at  noon  hour,  and 
from  the  steel  mills,  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  scene, 
the  mill  hands  saw  the  struggle,  attracted  by  the  bark- 
ing of  the  dog. 

"  They  all  knew  Fido  and  would  have  fought  a  battle 
for  him  if  need  be.  When  they  reached  the  scene  they 
were  about  to  do  the  dog-catcher  bodily  harm.  A  riot 
call  was  sent  in,  and  the  arrival  of  a  squad  of  police  was 
the  only  thing  that  saved  the  captor  of  Fido  from 
hurt.  *  *  * 

"  Fido  was  killed  by  the  wheels  of  his  favorite  engine 
in  an  encounter  with  a  dog  that  attacked  him." 

Owney,  the  railroad  dog  of  the  United  States,  "  the 
greatest  dog  traveler  in  the  World,"  has  an  interest- 
ing and  pathetic  history.  M.  I.  Ingersoll,  in  St. 
Nicholas,  March,  1894,  tells  how  a  little  homeless 
puppy,  hungry  and  cold  one  autumn  night  in  1888,  crept 
into  the  post  office  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  for  shelter  and  the 
clerks  found  him  asleep  in  the  morning  on  the  leather 
mail  bags.  He  wagged  his  tail,  and  said  by  his  eyes, 
beautiful  brown  eyes,  almost  human  in  expression, 
"  Please  let  me  stay."  One  man  brought  him  soup  and 
the  next  day  another  man  brought  him  steak.  "  Who 
owns  him?"  was  the  oft  repeated  question,  till  finally 
he  was  called  "  Owney."  The  shaggy  little  terrier,  be- 
tween Irish  and  Scotch,  with  gray  curly  hair,  liked  the 
leather  bags  and  followed  them  into  the  car.  The  men 
knew  him  and  brought  him  back  on  the  return  trip. 
Finally  the  clerks  took  up  a  subscription  and  bought  a 
collar  for  fear  he  would  be  lost,  putting  on  it  "  Owney, 
Albany  P.  O.",  and  asking  clerks  to  fasten  tags  on  the 


282       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

collar  telling  to  what  places  the  dog  traveled.  After  he 
had  been  in  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  Salt  Lake 
City,  California,  Mexico,  where  a  silver  dollar  was  put 
on  his  collar,  through  the  South  and  to  Washington, 
D.  C,  Postmaster  John  Wannamaker  saw  that  the 
weight  about  his  collar  was  too  heavy  and  had  a  har- 
ness made  for  him.  A  Boston  clerk  later  wrote  to  Al- 
bany asking  that  they  have  pity  on  the  dog,  as  the  tags 
weighed  two  pounds,  and  to  take  off  the  harness  and 
preserve  it,  which  was  done. 

Owney  would  not  ride  on  a  passenger  car.  When  the 
train  stopped  twenty  minutes  for  dinner  he  would  walk 
into  the  station  and  bark  for  bones.  When  the  bell 
rang  he  was  the  first  one  on  the  train.  If  the  men 
were  sleeping  and  forgot  a  station,  the  dog  barked  and 
awakened  them.  Owney  when  tired  would  often  slip  off 
his  collar  and  then  put  it  on  himself.  The  clerks  en- 
joyed this  skill  so  much  that  he  was  often  asked  to  do 
it  for  friends.  His  picture  was  taken  by  Mr.  George 
H.  Leek,  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  "  I  made  the  picture  of 
the  dog  Owney  while  he  was  detained  here  much  against 
his  will,"  Mr.  Leek  writes  me,  "  as  the  letter  carriers 
wished  to  take  him  to  a  picnic." 

Mr.  Charles  H.  Holden  says  in  St.  Nicholas,  July, 
1896,  that  Owney  started  August  19,  1895,  on  the  ship 
Victoria  from  San  Francisco,  for  a  trip  around  the 
world.  He  carried  in  his  bag  his  blanket,  brush  and 
comb,  and  letter  of  introduction  to  postal  authorities. 
He  soon  became  the  pet  of  all  the  crew.  He  reached 
Yokahama  October  3,  received  as  his  passport  the  seal 
of  the  Mikado,  addressed  to  the  American  dog  traveler, 
reached  Kobi  October  9,  received  medals  at  Fouchow, 


i.  OWNEY,  THE  U.  S.  MAIL  DOG.  —  2.  JOE  HART,  owned  by  Mr.  E. 
H.  Hart,  Meridian,  Miss.  (p.  276). 


Intelligence  of  Dogs  283 

Hong  Kong  and  other  cities,  visited  Algiers,  the 
Azores,  reaching  New  York  December  23,  then  west  to 
Tacoma,  having  gone  around  the  globe  in  132  days, 
and  added  over  200  medals  to  his  collection. 

Owney  was  loved  by  all  the  Post  Office  clerks  in  the 
country.  Walter  Schutt,  the  superintendent  of  mails 
at  the  Cleveland  Post  Office,  said,  "  I  remember  the 
last  time  he  was  in  Cleveland.  It  was  about  three  years 
ago.  We  found  him  outside  the  window  pawing  the 
pane  and  trying  to  get  in.  One  of  the  clerks  opened  the 
window  and  '  Owney  '  was  admitted.  He  visited  with 
everybody  and  then  went  to  see  Postmaster  Anderson. 
He  remained  with  the  postmaster  long  enough  to  have 
an  extra  tag  put  on  and  then  he  went  to  the  depot  and 
climbed  aboard  the  mail  car.  When  he  arrived  in  this 
city  he  did  not  wait  for  the  mail  wagon,  but  ran  to  the 
post  office  ahead  of  it.  I  believe  he  could  find  the  way 
to  any  of  the  big  postoffices  in  the  country,  lie  left 
in  the  same  manner.  He  has  traveled  several  hundred 
thousand  miles,  without  a  doubt." 

Poor  Owney  was  shot  at  Toledo,  Ohio,  at  four 
o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  June  12,  1897,  by  a  police- 
man, by  order  of  Postmaster  Brand.  About  midnight, 
a  postal  clerk  entered  the  basement  of  the  Post  Office 
where  Owney  was  sleeping  and  guarding,  and  attempt- 
ing to  fondle  him,  was  bitten.  Before  any  of  the  clerks 
could  rescue  the  dog  and  get  him  to  the  depot,  he  was 
shot,  to  the  great  regret  of  thousands  who  loved  him. 
Orders  had  been  given  that  Owney  should  not  be  car- 
ried on  mail  cars,  but  the  clerks  could  not  refuse  him. 
His  body  was  taken  to  a  taxidermist  and  is  now  in  the 
Post  Office  Museum  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


284        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Nig,  owned  by  C.  N.  Davis,  the  station  master  at 
Forks  Creek,  Colorado,  saved  a  train  from  destruction 
and  the  life  of  Superintendent  T.  H.  Sears  of  the  Col- 
orado and  Southern  Railway,  in  January,  1901.  Not 
being  able  to  throw  the  switch  on  account  of  ice,  as  he 
usually  did  with  his  nose,  he  seized  a  flag  in  his  teeth, 
and  rushing  up  the  track  saved  the  train.  Nig  is  four 
years  old,  a  combination  of  setter  and  spaniel.  Money 
could  not  buy  the  dog  from  Mr.  Davis,  now  stationed  in 
Denver. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals 

APATHETIC  story  was  told  in  the  New  York 
papers  in  the  fall  of  1896,  about  Tim  Leahy 
and  a  homeless  dog.  At  400  East  Forty-eighth 
street  on  the  top  floor  of  a  tenement  house  lived  Tim, 
and  his  aged  aunt,  Mrs.  Kelly.  She  was  a  woman  sixty 
years  old,  and  sold  candy  and  apples  in  front  of  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral  on  Fifth  avenue,  when  orphan 
Tim,  two  years  old,  was  sent  to  her  from  Ireland  to 
bring  up.  In  cold  days  she  tucked  little  Tim  under  her 
shawl,  and  cared  for  him  as  best  she  could.  One  warm 
summer  night,  when  Tim  was  just  old  enough  to  walk 
about,  a  homeless,  half  starved  big  yellow  dog  fol- 
lowed Tim  up  the  tenement  house  stairs,  licking  his 
little  hands.  Though  very  poor,  Tim's  aunt  could  not 
turn  the  dog  away,  so  he  stayed  and  shared  their  pov- 
erty. Tim  was  sent  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Orphan 
School  on  Fifth  avenue  and  grew  very  fond  of  read- 
ing, and  at  home  Tige  always  listened  as  though  he 
enjoyed  it. 

Mrs.  Kelly's  health  failed,  she  was  obliged  to  give  up 
her  candy  stand,  and  after  pawning  nearly  all  the  scant 
supply  of  furniture  which  she  possessed,  she  went  to 
the  hospital.  Tim  and  Tige  were  given  a  little  food  by 
the  poor  neighbors  about  them,  until  one  of  them  ap- 
plied to  the  Gerry  Society  to  take  care  of  the  child,  thus 

285 


286       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

left  alone  with  his  dog.  They  were  found  side  by  side, 
nearly  starved,  and  Tim  was  taken  to  Drumgoole  Mis- 
sion on  Third  street.  He  went  away  weeping  for  Tige. 
The  poor  heart-broken  creature  crawled  under  the 
broken  stove,  and  refused  to  eat  the  food  which  the 
neighbors  brought  him. 

A  wealthy  woman  in  New  York  read  the  story  in 
the  papers,  and  determined  that  Tim  and  Tige  should 
not  be  separated  if  she  could  prevent  it.  She  went  to 
the  mission  and  made  arrangements  to  bring  the  dog 
there.  When  brought  into  the  office,  the  meeting  of 
boy  and  dog  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  those  standing 
near.  The  dog  became  a  favorite  among  the  boys,  but 
loved  none  so  well  as  the  child  who  saved  him  from 
starvation  when  he  was  homeless. 

The  New  York  World  for  August,  1898,  tells  of  the 
drowning  of  a  little  hero  who  loved  his  dog.  Jimmy 
Dillon  of  East  Trenton,  N.  J.,  picked  up  a  homeless 
creature  in  the  street  and  took  it  home.  The  father  was 
displeased,  and  when  the  dog  caught  some  chickens,  a 
habit  that  has  been  broken  in  thousands  of  cases,  he 
determined  that  the  puppy  should  be  drowned.  In  vain 
the  boy  wept  and  pleaded  for  his  pet,  and  caressed  him 
all  day  long,  before  doing  as  his  father  had  commanded. 
He  could  not  bear  to  watch  the  poor  thing  as  it  struggled 
in  the  water,  so  taking  a  bag  from  the  barn,  he  went 
at  sunset  to  Assanpink  Creek  with  an  aching  heart.  He 
played  with  his  pet  for  an  hour,  putting  off  the  cruel 
edict  as  long  as  possible.  At  last  he  put  the  dog  in  the 
bag,  tied  the  end,  and  waded  into  the  creek  up  to  his 
neck.  With  sinking  heart  he  flung  the  bag  from  him, 
slipped  and  fell  into  the  water.  His  cries  for  help  were 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   287 

heard  by  Miss  Lillie  Boughner,  who  attempted  to  save 
him,  but  the  current  carried  him  beyond  her  reach. 
The  first  person  she  met  was  the  father.  An  hour  later 
the  dead  body  of  his  boy  was  recovered,  and  soon  after 
the  body  of  the  little  dog  was  pulled  ashore. 

Another  boy  was  drowned  in  Chester,  Pa.,  while 
trying  to  save  a  dog.  "  Too  bad,"  remarks  an  ex- 
|;  change.  '  The  world  needs  such  people." 

The  World,  March  20,  1900,  gives  an  account  of  a 
young  hero,  who  saved  a  dog : 

"  David  Orr,  eighteen  years  old,  risked  his  life  yes- 
terday to  save  a  yellow  dog.  The  animal  was  discov- 
ered imprisoned  on  a  ledge  of  rock  projecting  into  the 
basin  of  the  Passaic  Falls,  Passaic,  N.  J.,  eighty  feet 
1  below  the  chasm  bridge.  It  had  been  there  nearly  two 

days  before  its  howls  attracted  attention. 

"  President  Bishop,  of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention 
of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  was  notified,  and  young  Orr 
volunteered  to  rescue  the  dog. 

"  Orr  crawled  along  the  ice-covered  rock  that  rises 
from  the  basin  and  reached  the  dog,  but  found  it  neces- 
sary to  use  both  hands  to  maintain  his  position  on  the 
rock. 

"  Meanwhile  a  great  crowd  had  gathered  on  the 
bridge  and  the  falls'  grounds. 

"  '  Get  a  rope ! '  shouted  some  one,  and  this  was  done. 
Two  men  leaning  out  on  the  peak  of  the  rock  lowered 
the  rope,  and  Orr  succeeded  in  fastening  it  around  the 
dog.  The  animal  seemed  to  realize  all  that  was  being 
done  for  it,  and  when  hauled  to  safety  showed  its  appre- 
ciation by  licking  the  hands  of  all  who  approached.  The 
crowd  gave  a  rousing  cheer  for  Orr. 


288       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Nicholas  Van  Ness,  an  officer  of  the  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  took  the  dog  to  his 
home.  It  is  presumed  that  the  dog  was  thrown  over 
the  chasm  bridge,  and  the  society  is  making  an  investi- 
gation. The  animal  was  almost  dead  from  cold  and 
hunger." 

Mark  Anthony  Dramond,  aged  forty-eight,  says  the 
Cleveland  Press,  December  24,  1898,  died  at  the  Charity 
Hospital  in  New  Orleans,  from  devotion  to  his  pet  dog. 
The  dog  bit  a  man,  and  when  the  case  came  before  the 
Court,  as  Dramond  refused  to  give  up  the  dog  to  be 
killed,  he  was  sent  to  prison  for  thirty  days,  the  third 
time  he  had  served  a  sentence  for  his  beloved  dog.  In 
prison  he  contracted  pneumonia,  and  died,  saying  he 
would  rather  remain  a  prisoner  forever  than  give  up  his 
dog  to  be  killed. 

The  St.  Louis  Republic,  November  13,  1897,  gives 
this  affecting  story  of  Fannie,  the  victim  of  a  cruel  law, 
which  permits  property  to  be  taken  and  destroyed, 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner.  Some  cities,  as  in 
Chicago,  are  more  humane,  and  allow  a  dog  to  be 
removed  to  another  place,  rather  than  killed. 

"  '  Come,  kiss  me,  Fannie,  for  the  last  time.  A  prej- 
udiced and  unfeeling  public  is  clamoring  for  your  life. 
The  executioner  is  here  to  carry  out  the  mandate  of  the 
law,  and,  sorely  as  it  grieves  me,  we  must  part.' 

"  With  these  words  Mathew  De  Four,  a  veteran  fire- 
man living  at  3417  Manchester  avenue,  consigned  his 
pet  dog.  Fannie,  to  her  fate.  Big  tears  rolled  down 
his  cheeks  as  he  spoke,  and  the  dog,  seemingly  cogni- 
zant of  his  master's  distress,  looked  pleadingly  into  the 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals  289 

old  man's  face,  and,  having  embraced  him,  and  licked 
away  the  tears,  lay  down  to  partake  of  its  fatal  meal  of 
beefsteak  and  strychnine. 

"  The  little  house  clock  had  just  recorded  the  hour  of 
three,  and  five  minutes  later  Fannie  was  no  more. 
Deputy  Marshal  Volmer  had  witnessed  the  carrying 
out  of  an  order  from  Judge  Peabody,  and  with  tears  in 
his  eyes,  and  the  pitiful  pleadings  of  an  aged  woman 
ringing  in  his  ears,  he  moved  from  the  scene  to  the  Four 
Courts,  where,  with  quivering  voice,  he  reported  to  his 
associates  the  pathetic  scenes  accompanying  the  execu- 
tion of  the  dog. 

"  Fannie  was  a  half-breed  mastiff,  four  years  of  age. 
Old  Mrs.  De  Four  had  raised  it  from  a  puppy.  Her 
husband's  vocation  kept  him  away  from  home  most  of 
the  time  and  through  the  long,  dreary  nights  and  days 
Fannie  was  her  sole  companion  and  comforter.  Fannie 
was  vigilant  and  obedient. 

"  She  had  learned  to  go  errands  for  her  mistress,  and 
made  frequent  trips  from  the  house  to  the  No.  20 
engine-house,  where  Matt  De  Four  was  assigned  to 
duty,  carrying  him  little  dainties  that  his  wife  had  pre- 
pared between  meals.  It  was  while  making  one  of  these 
trips  several  days  ago  that  Fannie  got  into  trouble 
with  the  children  of  the  neighborhood.  One  of  the 
children  innocently  attempted  to  take  from  the  dog  a 
little  basket.  The  dog  knocked  the  child  down  and 
snapped  it  on  the  arm.  The  child's  parents  aroused  the 
indignation  of  the  neighbors  against  the  faithful 
Fannie.  It  resulted  in  Matt  De  Four  being  summoned 
into  Judge  Peabody's  court.  The  dog  was  present  at 


290       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

the  trial  to  prove  in  its  mute  way  its  docility,  but  the 
clamor  of  the  neighbors  was  intense,  and  the  result 
reached  was  an  order  for  the  dog's  destruction. 

"  When  old  Mrs.  De  Four  heard  of  it  she  wept  night 
and  day.  Her  husband  tried  in  vain  to  have  the  order 
recalled,  and  when  Deputy  Volmer  appeared  at  the 
house  yesterday,  both  husband  and  wife  were  in  tears. 

"  Fannie  was  there  in  her  favorite  position  beside  the 
old  woman. 

"  '  I  really  believe  that  the  poor  dog  knew  what  I 
was  there  for,'  said  Volmer.  The  old  woman  was  cry- 
ing and,  as  I  entered  the  room  the  dog  crept  toward  me, 
looking  pleadingly  into  my  face.  Then  it  raised  on  its 
hindquarters  and  began  to  motion  with  its  forepaws, 
as  if  begging  for  mercy.  While  in  this  attitude,  it 
would  look  first  at  the  old  lady,  who  was  in  tears,  then 
at  me.  By  gosh,  I  soon  found  myself  crying.  Then 
Mr.  De  Four  came  into  the  room,  and,  calling  the  dog 
to  him,  said:  '  Fannie,  come  kiss  me  for  the  last  time.' 
The  dog  raised  up  and  throwing  its  paws  over  its 
master's  shoulders,  began  to  lick  his  tears  away. 

"  '  You  ain't  heartless  enough  to  kill  this  dog,'  said 
De  Four  to  me. 

'  I  couldn't  speak  for  a  minute.     Then  my  reply 
was  that  the  law  demanded  it.' 

"  '  I'll  give  you  $100  if  you  don't,'  said  he.  '  My 
refusal  was  followed  by  another  outburst  of  tears.  Then 
the  dog  left  its  master  and,  placing  its  forepaws  on  my 
shoulders,  began  in  its  mute  way  to  plead  with  me.' 

"  '  From  me  it  turned  to  the  old  woman  and  its 
master,  and,  having  embraced  and  licked  their  faces  in 
turn,  lay  down  at  my  feet.' 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   291 

"  '  Well,  I  suppose  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  part,' 
said  De  Four  to  the  dog.  '  A  prejudiced  and  unfeeling 
public  demands  your  destruction,  and  the  executioner  is 
here.' 

'  Have   you   any   objection   to   my   poisoning   the 
dog?' 

"  '  I  answered  no,  and  he  went  out  for  beefsteak  and 
strychnine.  When  he  returned  the  old  lady  caressed  the 
dog  and  left  the  room  in  tears. 

"  '  Then  De  Four  placed  a  bit  of  the  poisoned  meat 
on  the  floor  before  the  dog.  It  looked  up  at  me,  then 
at  its  master,  as  if  to  say  "  Must  I?  " 

"  '  Yes,  it  is  so  decreed,'  spoke  De  Four. 

"  '  The  dog  took  the  meat  in  its  mouth,  then  threw 
it  out  again,  and  began  to  beg  as  before.' 

"  '  Do  you  still  persist  in  killing  the  dog?  '  pleadingly 
asked  De  Four. 

"  '  I  hated  to  say  so,  but  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

"  '  Eat  it,  Fannie ! '  said  De  Four,  turning  away. 

"  '  Fannie  did  so  and  was  no  more.'  ' 

The  New  York  Journal,  July  1899,  gives  an  interest- 
ing account  of  Rover,  a  fine  ISTe\vfoundland  dog,  of 
Jersey  City,  who  bit  Mrs.  Jennie  Hay,  and  was  there- 
fore sentenced  to  death  by  Justice  Potts.  Mr.  Jacob 
Boucher,  the  owner  of  the  dog,  inasmuch  as  Rover  was 
greatly  beloved  by  his  children,  protested  against  such 
a  fate,  and  asked  Lawyer  C.  J.  Peshall  to  defend  the 
dog.  "  He  having  saved  several  condemned  murder- 
ers from  the  gallows,  knew  what  he  was  about.  Be- 
fore appearing  in  court,  he  appealed  to  the  Court  of 
Appeals  against  the  decision  of  Justice  Potts,  and  then 
served  notice  on  the  executioners. 


292       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  Therefore  Rover  was  brought  before  the  Justice 
yesterday  to  show  cause  why  he  should  not  be 
executed. 

"  '  Look  here,  now/  said  Mr.  Peshall,  '  Mrs.  Hay 
here  has  a  superstitious  notion  that  this  dog  ought  to 
be  shot  in  order  to  escape  hydrophobia.  If  the  dog  is 
killed,  it  won't  save  her,  and  in  addition  the  dog  isn't 
mad.  Why,  it  was  merely  playing  with  her.' 

"  Mr.  Peshall  then  announced  that  if  Mrs.  Hay 
agreed,  the  dog  would  be  sent  into  another  state. 

"  '  No,'  said  Mrs.  Hay.     '  I  want  the  dog  shot.' 

"  '  Now,  see  here,  Mrs.  Hay,'  said  Justice  Potts, 
'  I'm  just  as  much  afraid  of  dogs  as  you  are,  but  it's 
foolish  to  think  you  will  get  hydrophobia  if  Rover  isn't 
killed.  Moreover,  I  don't  think  I  have  any  right  to 
order  an  execution.' 

"  Then  Mrs.  Hay  insisted  that  the  dog  '  be  killed 
right  away.' 

"  '  You  can't,'  said  Lawyer  Peshall.  '  If  you  have 
any  redress,  it  is  in  a  civil  action.  There's  no  law  per- 
mitting you  to  have  the  dog  shot.' 

"  '  Defendant  is  remanded  in  the  custody  of  his 
owner,'  said  the  court,  whereupon  Rover  withdrew, 
wagging  his  tail." 

Desiring  to  know  the  fate  of  Rover,  I  wrote  to  Mr. 
Peshall,  and  was  glad  to  receive  his  answer,  dated  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1900:  "I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that 
Rover  is  now  alive  and  in  good  spirits." 

The  Daily  Iowa  Capitol  tells  this  story : 

"  A  boy  about  ten  years  old  went  to  the  central  police 
station  in  Kansas  City,  Kan.,  one  day  last  week,  leading 
a  fine  shepherd  dog  by  a  short  piece  of  rope  tied  to  his 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals  293 

collar,"  relates  the  Kansas  City  Star.  The  boy's  face 
was  red  and  swollen  and  he  was  crying. 

"  '  Well,  well,  well,  what's  the  matter  here?  '  asked 
a  big  policeman,  stooping  down  and  looking  into  the 
boy's  face. 

"  It  seemed  like  a  long  time  before  he.  could  stop 
crying. 

"  '  Please,  sir,'  he  sobbed,  '  my  mother  is  too  poor  to 
pay  for  a  license  for  Shep,  and  I  brought  him  here  to 
have  you  kill  him.' 

"  Then  he  broke  out  with  another  wail  that  was 
heard  all  through  the  city  building.  Shep  stood  there 
mute  and  motionless,  looking  up  into  the  face  of  his 
young  master.  A  policeman  took  out  his  handker- 
chief to  blow  his  nose  and  the  desk  sergeant  went  out 
into  the  hall,  absent-mindedly  whistling  a  tune  which 
nobody  ever  heard  before,  while  the  captain  remem- 
bered that  he  must  telephone  somebody.  Then  Chief 
McFarland  led  the  boy  to  the  door,  and,  patting  him  on 
the  head,  said  kindly: 

"  '  There,  little  fellow,  don't  cry  any  more;  run  home 
with  your  dog.  I  wouldn't  kill  a  dog  like  Shep  for  a 
thousand  dollars.' 

"  '  Oh,  thank  you,  sir.'  They  were  tears  of  joy  now. 
He  bounded  out  into  the  street  and  ran  off  towards  his 
home  with  Shep  prancing  along  and  jumping  up  and 
trying  to  kiss  the  boy's  face.  It  was  hard  to  tell  which 
was  the  happiest,  the  boy  or  the  dog." 

The  Detroit  Daily  Journal  of  March  16,  1898,  gives 
an  incident  illustrating  the  usual  results  of  a  cruel 
and  uncalled  for  license  law : 

"  The  dog  man  captured  her  but  she  was  quickly  res- 


294      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

cued.  The  boys  stormed  the  wagon  like  Cuban  insur- 
gents. 

"  Ruby,  the  fat,  little  pug  dog  mascot  of  the  Home 
Messenger  corps,  was  the  heroine  of  an  exciting  inci- 
dent this  morning.  Ruby  had  long  been  the  object  of 
admiration  of  hundreds  of  citizens.  She  watches  her 
opportunity  for  a  ride  and  when  a  boy  starts  on  a  trip 
she  capers  about  and  begs  to  be  taken  along.  Perched 
on  the  shoulders  of  a  messenger,  no  speed  is  too  great 
for  the  rollicking  pug  to  enjoy;  in  fact  the  faster  goes 
the  boy  the  more  contented  is  the  dog. 

"  When  not  riding  for  her  dogship's  health  she  spends 
her  time  in  front  of  the  Home  Savings  Bank  perform- 
ing tricks  for  the  amusement  of  the  messengers  and 
passersby. 

"  The  '  dog  man  '  decided  that  Ruby  was  altogether 
too  popular  and  early  this  morning  began  a  waiting 
game  in  the  vicinity.  About  9 130  the  pug  wandered  out 
into  Griswold  street,  and  with  a  swoop  was  gathered 
up  in  a  big  net.  Then  Ruby,  wagging  her  tail  and  won- 
dering what  the  new  trick  was,  disappeared  in  the  '  dog 
wagon.' 

"  '  Hey  dere,  mister,  youse  let  dat  dog  loose,'  yelled  a 
newsboy. 

"  In  less  than  a  minute  twenty  newsboy  admirers  of 
Ruby  popped  out  from  alleys  and  around  corners  and 
had  surrounded  the  prison.  Their  demands  for  Ruby's 
release  were  not  couched  in  the  most  elegant  language, 
but  a  chorus  was  fired  at  the  man  who  had  bagged 
Ruby.  Two  of  the  boys  notified  the  messengers  and 
just  as  the  '  dog '  wagon  started  away  there  was  a  lively 
rush  of  boys  of  all  ages,  colors  and  conditions. 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   295 

"  The  wheels  were  blocked  by  sturdy  arms  and  a 
club  dashed  a  hole  in  the  rear  door  of  the  wagon.  Then 
followed  a  breaking  of  boards  and  before  the  dog  chaser 
could  recover  his  breath,  Ruby  was  sailing  away  down 
Michigan  avenue  on  the  back  of  a  messenger  boy  and 
a  second  cur  was  yelping  joyously  among  the  crowd  of 
boys,  who  scampered  away  cheering  for  Ruby,  groan- 
ing for  the  '  dog  man,'  and  protecting  their  prize." 

The  instances  are  almost  numberless  of  adults  as  well 
as  children  who  have  loved  dogs.  Rich  and  poor  alike 
love  them,  and  value  them.  Frank  Gould,  it  is  said, 
paid  $60,000  for  four  beautiful  St.  Bernards  who  made 
an  attractive  picture  at  a  dog  show  in  Cleveland  in 
1899. 

Mrs.  Gillig  of  New  York  has  three  dogs  which  cost 
her  $22,500.  Two  cost  ten  thousand  each,  and  for  one 
she  paid  $2,500.  Two  are  French  bull  dogs,  and  one 
an  English  bull  dog.  They  live  in  the  greatest  luxury, 
have  the  run  of  an  elegant  home,  have  had  three  minia- 
tures painted  on  ivory,  and  are  like  petted  children. 

Clara  Morris  has  an  aged  Skye  terrier  who  has  trav-. 
eled  with  her  nearly  all  over  the  world,  and  to  whom 
she  is  deeply  attached. 

Mrs.  Walter  Stanton,  President  of  the  Pet  Dog  Club 
of  New  York,  has  a  Russian  corded  black  poodle, 
Hector  II.,  who  has  taken  twenty-seven  prizes.  His 
cords  are  handsome;  the  cord  on  the  end  of  his  tail  is 
twenty-seven  inches  long  and  drags  on  the  ground.  A 
Russian  maid  cares  for  Madame  Hector,  and  nine  little 
poodles.  Mrs.  Stanton,  at  her  very  fine  kennels  at 
Hillsdale,  N.  J.,  her  country  place,  has  never  less  than 
twenty  thoroughbred  dogs.  She  has  a  good  word  for 


296       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

mongrels,  however,  and  says,  "  They  are  very  clean 
and  can  be  taught  almost  any  trick."  The  kennels  near 
the  house,  to  which  latter  place  they  have  free  access  in 
the  recreation  hours,  are  of  stone,  which  are  cooler  in 
summer  and  warmer  in  winter.  The  food  of  her  dogs, 
it  is  said,  besides  dog  biscuit,  consists  of  thoroughly 
boiled  beef  three  times  a  week.  The  puppies  are 
allowed  very  little  meat,  but  are  given  bones  as  these 
are  essential  for  their  teeth.  In  winter  a  dish  of  boiled 
meat,  the  water  thickened  with  corn  meal  and  salted,  is 
much  liked  by  the  dogs. 

Chuckle,  the  French  poodle  born  in  China,  the  favor- 
ite dog  at  the  Russian  embassy  in  Washington,  with 
Cosette  and  their  offspring,  Mosquito  and  Crickett, 
with  their  white  silk  coats  dressed  every  morning,  are 
much  beloved  by  the  Ambassador  and  his  niece,  Coun- 
tess Cossini.  They  always  ride  on  the  front  seat  in  the 
carriage,  go  with  the  family  to  their  apartments  in 
hotels,  and  traveled  to  Russia  and  back  with  the  Am- 
.bassador  and  his  suite  in  the  summer. 

Mrs.  Cushman  K.  Davis,  the  brilliant  wife  of  the 
late  United  States  senator  from  Minnesota  has  a  petted 
Russian  terrier  named  Bebee,  who,  it  is  said,  under- 
stands her  mistress  in  four  languages.  She  always 
travels  with  Mrs.  Davis  when  she  goes  abroad,  and 
is  cared  for  as  delicately  as  a  child.  She  is  most  affec- 
tionate and  intelligent. 

A  friend,  Mr.  Charles  A.  Post,  a  banker  of  Cleve- 
land, at  my  request  sends  me  the  following  sketch  of 
his  pets,  especially  Nio,  a  beautiful  Russian  wolf  hound. 

"  While  a  lover  of  dogs  from  earliest  youth,  having 
been  possessed  of  and  been  very  fond  of  the  individuals 


MRS.  CUSHMAN  K.  DAVIS  AND  UKR  RUSSIAN  TKRKIKR  T.^ 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   297 

of  a  long  list  both  of  high  and  low  degree,  I  have  many 
times  resolved  never  to  keep  another,  so  tragic  were  the 
takings  off  and  the  partings  so  hard.  But  again  and 
again  I  have  broken  my  resolution,  feeling  that  after 
all,  '  It  was  better  to  have  often  loved  and  lost  than 
never  to  have  loved  at  all.' 

"  My  thought  goes  back  to  childhood,  and  mentally 
I  call  the  roll  of  my  dumb  friends,  cared  for  and  cher- 
ished, best  loved  from  then  until  now.  Beside  those  I 
shall  name,  others  came  and  went,  some  appearing  in 
such  an  evanescent  way  that  they  are  but  dimly  remem- 
bered; here  are  those  that  in  memory  still  live,  though 
most  have  been  in  the  '  Happy  Hunting  Ground '  full 
many  a  year.  '  Fellow,'  a  black  and  white  dog  of  breed 
much  mixed,  but  handsome,  affectionate  and  a  '  War- 
rior Bold,'  and  thus  endeared  to  an  active  and  unregen- 
erate  small  boy;  *  Tip,'  a  bright,  fond  and  faithful 
black  and  tan ;  '  Pepper,'  a  Grade  Scotch  terrier,  true 
as  steel,  an  inveterate  enemy  of  the  cat  family,  and 
thereby  hangs  many  a  tale  of  flight  and  fight.  He  could 
almost  talk,  and  was  the  most  dog  for  his  inches  I  ever 
owned ;  '  Prince '  an  English  greyhound  of  purest 
breeding,  and  who,  an  exception  to  the  rule  in  his 
family,  had  undaunted  courage  and  was  a  scientific 
fighter,  able  to  care  for  himself  anywhere,  and  the  vic- 
torious hero  of  many  an  exciting  street  fight,  forced 
upon  him  by  dog-bullies,  who  came,  saw  and  were  con- 
quered with  such  lightning  speed  and  skill,  that  their 
respect  for  the  '  slim '  breeds  must  have  been  much  in- 
creased and  their  wisdom  added  to;  and  then  poor 
'  Rom/  or  as  he  was  fully  and  appropriately  christened, 
'  Romulus/  being  the  son  of  a  wolf-mother  and  a  noble 


298       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

greyhound  father,  wolfish  in  appearance,  shifty,  shy 
and  nervous  to  a  degree,  almost  unapproachable  by 
strangers,  but  pathetically  affectionate  with  the  few 
persons  admitted  to  his  great  heart ;  but  none  can  com- 
pare with  '  Nio,'  my  most  recent  dog  friend,  for  whose 
loss  I  am  not  yet  consoled,  so  I  venture  a  description 
of  her,  her  habits  and  characteristics. 

"  She  was  a  wolfhound  of  excellent  breed,  standard 
size,  and  while  apparently  delicate  and  slender  was  yet 
a  very  fleet  and  powerful  dog,  weighing  between  ninety 
and  one  hundred  pounds.  She  was  a  beautiful,  nerv- 
ous, sensitive,  intelligent,  affectionate  creature,  with 
eyes  large,  fawn-like  and  lustrous,  who  smiled  and 
laughed,  pouted  and  sulked,  as  surely  as  a  person  does. 
Having  all  the  moods  of  a  spoiled  coquette,  she  was 
immensely  clever  and  amusing,  and  more  companion- 
able than  many  persons,  being,  indeed,  a  Russian  Prin- 
cess among  dogs. 

"  Her  father  and  mother  were  imported  from  Russia 
by  the  late  lamented  Major  John  A.  Logan,  son  of  Gen- 
eral Logan.  She  was  of  royal  breeding,  and  the  hand- 
somest wolfhound  I  have  ever  seen.  Her  coat,  a  mag- 
nificent one,  in  color  a  beautiful  tawny  yellow ;  she  had 
four  white  feet,  a  white  stripe  in  her  breast,  and  the  tip 
of  her  glorious  brush,  carried  aloft  in  graceful  curve, 
was  like  '  The  White  Plume  of  Henry  of  Navarre.'  A 
little  child  once  said  of  her,  '  Her  tail  is  just  like  a 
plume,'  and  a  lady  remarked,  '  I  believe  her  tail  is  wired 
up/ 

"  It  was  one  of  her  great  delights  to  walk  in  the 
park  or  across  country  with  her  fond  and  proud  master, 
who  had  to  answer  many  curious  questions  as  tc  her 


300       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

strength  and  fleetness  were  her  protectors,  and  I  think 
her  keenness  of  scent  led  her  from  afar  to  barbarous 
midnight  feasts  with  other  dogs,  where  offal  was 
thrown,  in  out  of  the  way  places,  in  the  gullies  of  the 
suburbs.  Her  range  was  wide  on  these  nocturnal  ex- 
cursions, as  I  have  had  her  reported  to  me,  a  solitary 
wanderer  of  a  moonlit  night,  miles  away  from  her  de- 
serted home.  Some  one  would  say,  '  I  saw  "  your  big 
yellow  dog  "  at  such  a  place;  I'd  think  you'd  be  afraid 
to  let  her  run  so.'  Yet  I  never  heard  complaint  or 
knew  of  damage  or  molestation  of  person  or  property. 

"  She  had,  when  stretched  out  at  full  length  upon  her 
side,  with  ears  erect,  a  strange  likeness  to  a  deer.  This 
was  emphasized  by  her  hair  shading  into  a  lighter  color 
underneath,  as  is  the  case  with  many  wild  animals. 
Once  when  I  entered  the  Bird  and  Monkey  house  at  the 
park,  she  following  hurriedly,  when  a  lady  visitor 
started  aside  and  screamed  in  affright,  saying,  '  Oh,  I 
thought  that  was  a  deer  coming  in  here.' 

"  She  was  proud  of  her  ability  to  run  and  jump  and 
would  race  at  full  speed  round  and  round  in  broad  cir- 
cles, when  taken  into  the  fields  and  told  to  start,  appar- 
ently quite  aware  she  was  doing  her  '  stint '  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  friends. 

"  When  I  was  out  of  town,  or  if  for  any  reason  her 
presence  was  not  desired  at  the  house,  she  was  put  in 
possession  of  a  fine  large  box  stall  at  the  stable  of  a 
most  kind  neighboring  veterinary,  where  the  Doctor, 
and  her  faithful  attendant  and  beloved  friend  '  Wil- 
liam '  made  her  life  a  happy  one  with  kindest  care  and 
when  possible  the  run  of  the  large  stable  and  yard. 
She  had  an  inclination  to  burrow  and  could  in  a  sur- 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals  301 

prisingly  short  time  dig  an  ample  den  to  shield  from 
summer  heat  from  which  she  suffered  much. 

"  At  one  time  she  had  a  mate,  a  male  called  '  Czar,' 
who,  while  larger  and  a  little  coarser  as  became  his 
sex,  was  of  the  same  color,  and  similarly  marked.  They 
made  a  most  picturesque  and  striking  looking  pair.  He 
died  while  young,  although  he  had  nearly  attained  his 
growth,  and  was  a  fine  specimen. 

"  Nio  loved  to  travel,  having  been  taken  to  New 
York  twice  and  to  Washington,  and  farther  south  in 
Virginia.  She  was  quite  at  home  on  the  train,  in  a 
carriage  or  cab,  at  a  hotel,  or  in  a  railway  waiting  room. 
She  was  also  fond  of  electric  car  riding  about  town 
and  in  the  suburbs.  Neat  and  well  behaved,  she  was 
so  well  trained  and  attractive  that  I  was  often  allowed 
to  take  her  into  fine  restaurants  in  different  cities,  and 
once  in  Buffalo  was  permitted  to  keep  her  in  my  room 
at  a  first  class  hotel.  When  she  had  in  any  way  given 
offence,  or  was  reproved,  she  seemed  to  feel  assured  of 
forgiveness  when  she  '  begged  '  with  most  graceful  ges- 
ture of  her  fore-paws,  with  the  beautiful  head  held  on 
one  side  with  such  a  coquettish  droop,  and  the  lovely 
eyes  so  much  in  evidence.  Ordinarily  kind  and  gentle, 
she  was  fierce  as  a  tiger  on  occasion,  as  when  followed 
or  molested  by  strange  dogs,  and  her  rage  when  mules 
came  in  sight  was  both  amusing  and  terrifying. 

"  Petted  and  most  kindly  cared  for,  loved  and  loving 
in  life,  her  end  was  too  sad  to  relate.  There  were  sin- 
cere mourners  at  her  burial,  and  her  memory  is  still 
green  with  the  many  who  knew  her  but  to  love  and 
admire. 

"  Ernest  Seton  Thompson  says,   '  No  wild  animal 


302       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

dies  of  old  age.  Its  life  has  soon  or  late  a  tragic  end.' 
Is  this  not  true  of  nearly  all  our  domesticated  animals, 
the  pets  and  companions  we  become  so  much  attached 
to?" 

Nio  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  intelligent 
dogs  I  have  ever  seen.  She  seemed  almost  human,  and 
was  prized  as  one  might  a  beloved  friend.  She  was 
supposedly  poisoned,  Mr.  Post  tells  me,  by  some  mis- 
creant, as  have  been  other  beautiful  and  valuable  dogs. 
How  any  human  being  could  have  done  such  a  das- 
tardly deed  it  seems  impossible  to  conjecture.  She  was 
found  dead,  having  passed  through  her  last  agony  alone. 

Anna  Chapin  Ray,  the  author,  writes  me :  "  All  my 
life  we  have  had  pet  dogs,  but  Glencoe  is  the  dearest  of 
them  all.  I  have  just  had  a  life-size  picture  of  him  to 
hang  over  my  writing  table. 

"  Eight  years  ago  this  summer,  I  was  boarding  in  a 
village  among  the  New  Hampshire  hills.  Our  family 
collie  had  just  died,  and  the  sorrow  for  his  loss  led  me 
to  make  friends  with  the  collie  next  door.  To  my  sur- 
prise, I  was  at  once  asked  if  I  would  take  him  as  a 
gift.  The  farmer  who  owned  him  was  a  strict  utili- 
tarian. Glencoe  refused  to  go  to  pasture  and  bring 
home  the  cows,  therefore  there  was  no  use  in  allowing 
Glencoe  to  live.  Two  days  before  my  arrival,  the  old 
man  had  taken  an  axe,  tied  Glencoe  to  the  tail  of  his 
wagon  and  driven  away  into  the  woods.  Later,  he  re- 
turned, sheepish  and  apologetic,  with  Glencoe  capering 
at  his  side.  '  He  looked  so  steady  into  my  eyes  that  I 
couldn't,'  he  confessed.  '  Next  week  I'll  do  it.'  But 
before  next  week  came,  Glencoe  was  adopted  into  his 
new  home. 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   303 

"  He  was  little  more  than  a  puppy  then,  a  puppy  who 
ran  after  his  own  tail  and  leaped  over  the  horse's  back 
in  sheer  puppy  joy  of  living.  Now,  old,  sedate,  stately, 
he  is  nearing  the  end.  But,  from  the  hour  of  my  bring- 
ing him  home  up  to  the  present  moment,  his  devotion 
and  loyalty  have  never  failed  me.  Going  from  side  to 
side  of  the  house  in  order  to  lie  under  the  window  where 
I  am  sitting,  running  for  long  miles  beside  my  bicycle, 
trudging  solemnly  at  my  heels  when  I  go  to  market 
and  pressing  close  at  my  side  at  the  approach  of  suspi- 
cious-looking strangers,  for  hours  at  a  time  snoozing 
on  the  couch  in  my  writing-room,  to  the  manifest  det- 
riment of  the  pillows;  during  all  these  years,  he  has 
been  my  constant  companion.  Standing  at  the  window 
and  peering  in,  he  is  deaf  and  blind  to  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family. 

"  Petted  by  all,  he  ignores  all  their  blandishments  and 
looks  through  and  over  them  to  me  at  the  far  end  of  the 
room.  Eager  and  alert  when  he  sees  me  put  on  my  hat, 
a  simple  '  It's  Sunday,  Glencoe/  or  '  I'm  going  in  town/ 
makes  the  tail  droop  and  the  eyes  grow  dull.  His  only 
sin  lies  in  his  affinity  for  the  subsoil  of  our  flower-beds. 
The  Man  with  a  Hoe  is  an  idler  in  comparison  with 
Glencoe. 

"  It  counts  for  little  to  me  that  he  is  a  registered, 
thoroughbred  collie,  that  he  is  intelligent  and  obedient. 
It  does  count,  however,  that  his  life  centres  in  mine, 
that  his  eager,  questioning  eyes  grow  sorry  or  glad 
with  my  frown  or  smile.  And  if,  now  that  he  is  old 
and  infirm,  he  brings  me  into  social  disgrace  by  tum- 
bling headforemost  into  a  neighbor's  waste-pit  in  his 
search  for  stray  tidbits,  by  being  discovered  there  and 


304       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

assisted  to  clamber  out  by  means  of  a  step-ladder,  and 
by  coming  home,  a  sodden,  ashy  bundle  of  apologies, 
one  look  of  those  brown  eyes,  one  wag  of  that  bushy 
tail  makes  me  forget  everything  but  the  many  good 
times  we  have  spent  together.  His  days  are  passing 
all  too  fast;  but  my  own  Happy  Hunting  Ground  has 
plenty  of  room  for  Glencoe  beside  me." 

Queen  Victoria  was  very  fond  of  dogs.  "  The  dog 
houses  of  Windsor  afford  excellent  examples  of  minia- 
ture architecture.  They  are  on  a  beautiful  slope  by  the 
home  of  the  keeper.  When  the  Queen  drives  up,  and 
the  favorites  have  the  freedom  of  the  '  smooth  shaven 
lawn,'  gambols,  races  and  barking  beggar  description. 

"  One  pet  collie  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  Sharp.  He 
had  all  his  meals  with  his  mistress,  being  seldom  away 
from  her.  Though  such  a  favorite,  says  a  "writer  in 
Lloyd's  Weekly,  the  popularity  of  the  quadruped  had 
limits.  The  households  used  to  retreat  before  him,  for 
Sharp  not  only  barked  with  vigor,  but  could  bite  with 
spite.  Even  the  Queen  mentions  that  the  pet  was  fond 
of  fighting.  Referring  to  him  after  a  ramble,  she  men- 
tions that  the  collie  varied  the  monotony  of  the  walk 
by  numerous  '  collie  shangies ;'  it  is  the  Highland  phrase 
for  a  set-to  between  dogs  of  Sharp's  breed.  One  of 
them,  pure  white,  Lily,  always  travels  with  Her  Majesty. 
Other  special  favorites  have  been  a  merry  romping 
little,  tan  colored,  German  Spitz  dog,  Marco,  and  his 
wife,  Lenda.  They  have  had  a  large  family,  of  which 
several  members  have  been  given  away  as  presents. 
The  earlier  royal  favorites  were  Skye  terriers  and  turn- 
spits. But  during  later  times  Her  Majesty  has  shown 
preference  for  collies  and  spitzers.  Snowball,  a  partial- 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   305 

larly  graceful  collie,  is,  as  his  name  implies,  of  snowy 
whiteness.  This  animal  was  presented  to  her  on  the 
occasion  of  her  jubilee. 

"  One  dog,  the  elder  Noble,  given  nearly  twenty 
years  ago  to  the  Queen  by  the  Duke  of  Roxburgh,  has 
been  commemorated  by  the  recipient.  It  is  in  the  auto- 
biographical '  Leaves.'  The  writer  speaks  of  him  as  the 
'  good,  dear  Noble,'  and  continues :  '  He  is  the  most 
biddable  dog  I  ever  saw — so  affectionate  and  kind.  If 
he  thinks  you  are  not  pleased  with  him  he  puts  out  his 
paws  and  begs  in  such  an  affectionate  way.'  He  had  a 
special  privilege  once  upon  a  time  of  guarding  the 
Queen's  gloves.  The  record  of  the  dog  has  a  touch  of 
pathos.  Not  only  has  Noble's  once  rich  brown  muzzle 
grown  white  with  years,  but  the  dog's  eyesight  has 
gone.  Tied  to  a  string  he  follows  a  keeper.  Yet  the 
veteran  now  and  again  snatches  an  exceeding  joy.  The 
Queen's  affection  for  the  dog  has  increased  with  his  in- 
firmities. And  when  the  royal  hand  caresses  him  as  of 
yore  Noble  is  as  happy  as  when  he  rejoiced  in  the 
breezes  and  sunshine  of  Deeside." 

"  Marie  Antoinette's  Jet  lives  in  history.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  graphic  points  in  Dumas'  '  Chevalier  of  the 
Red  House,'  where  the  Queen's  pet  is  introduced.  But 
for  the  noise  made  by  the  dog  in  a  prison  corridor  dev- 
otees of  the  unfortunate  Queen  believed  that  they 
might  have  carried  her  off  in  safety.  Tenanting  a 
house  near  the  gaol  these  loyalists  had  burrowed  a  thor- 
oughfare under  part  of  the  building  in  which  the 
Queen  was  kept.  Allowed  to  walk  in  a  passage  out- 
side, she  shared  the  exercises  with  Elizabeth,  Mme. 
Royale  and  Jet.  His  acute  ear  caught  sounds  beneath 


306       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

one  of  the  corridor  trap  doors.  A  turnkey's  attention 
was  drawn  to  the  extraordinary  noise  of  the  pet  and  an 
alarm  was  sounded.  A  search  revealed  the  subterran- 
ean excavation,  but  the  conspirators  had  escaped.  Af- 
ter this  Jet  was  taken  from  his  mistress.  She  shed  bitter 
tears  at  the  separation." 

"  That  extraordinary  woman,  Queen  Christina  of 
Sweden,  with  her  love  of  field  sports,  horses  and  ath- 
letic games,  had  in  her  time  as  many  favorite  dogs  as 
Queen  Victoria.  Caesar,  a  dashing  wolf  hound,  always 
during  his  life  sat  with  her  at  church.  Having  been 
lamed  he  was  left  alone  one  Sunday,  but  leaping  from 
the  window  he  hobbled  to  the  cathedral  and  rent  the  air 
with  cries  for  admission.  They  were  heard  by  the 
Queen.  Soon  Csesar  appeared.  Christina's  finger 
pointed  to  her  feet.  The  dog  reposed  there  like  a  stone 
effigy." 

"  Catherine  of  Russia  possessed  a  lovely  French 
spaniel,  which  she  called  Babe.  He  literally  cost  her  his 
weight  in  gold,  his  owner  being  a  capital  fellow  at  driv- 
ing a  bargain.  Catherine  used  to  comb  and  dress  the 
pet  herself." 

"  In  February,  1643,  Queen  Henrietta  landed  in 
Yorkshire,  at  Burlington.  Sounds  of  battle  were  in 
the  air.  They  were  from  Batten's  ships,  who  tried  to 
frustrate  the  royal  landing.  Foiled,  the  admiral  began 
a  furious  cannonade  upon  the  house  where  the  Queen 
had  taken  refuge.  Batten  wanted  her  life,  for  she  had 
been  voted  guilty  of  high  treason  by  the  Parliament,  to 
whom  she  was  an  object  of  hatred.  Her  friends 
pressed  her  earnestly  to  leave.  She  did  this,  and  took 
shelter  in' a  ditch  outside  the  town.  Perilous,  indeed, 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   307 

was  her  position,  bullets  fast  and  furious  going  through 
the  air  and  dropping  about.  She  told  Mme.  de  Motte- 
ville  all  her  sad  and  tragic  adventures.  One  point 
shows  the  woman's  heart. 

"'I  had  an  old,  ugly  dog,'  she  said,  '  called  Mitte.  I 
loved  Mitte  very  much.  When  in  the  middle  of  Bur- 
lington street  I  remembered  I  had  left  the  dog  at  the 
mercy  of  the  Parliamentary  sailor.  I  instantly  turned, 
went  again  to  the  house,  rushed  upstairs,  caught  up  the 
dog  sleeping  on  the  bed  and  brought  her  away.'  It  was 
after  this  brave  and  tender  exploit  that  Henrietta  Maria 
gained  the  ditch." 

"  Good  Queen  Bess  was  a  lover  of  hounds  and  all 
sorts  of  dogs.  When  the  princess  was  undergoing 
imprisonment  at  Woodstock,  Sir  Thomas  Bedingfield 
won  her  heart  by  the  present  of  a  hound.  She  found 
him  such  a  companionable  fellow  that  she  named  him 
Friend.  When  she  returned  to  Hatfield,  Friend  was  her 
constant  playfellow.  By  a  coincidence  the  incarceration 
of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  cousin  of  Elizabeth,  had  a 
ray  of  sunshine  in  the  latter  part  of  the  time.  It  was 
the  gamboling  affection  of  a  little  French  dog.  He 
was  in  the  hall  at  Fotheringay  on  the  memorable  occa- 
sion of  the  execution,  February  i,  1587.  'All  her 
beauty  had  gone/  wrote  Dickens,  '  but  she  was  beauti- 
ful enough  to  her  spaniel,  who  lay  down  beside  her 
headless  body.'  He  caressed  the  body,  refused  to 
leave  till  forcibly  withdrawn,  and  died  of  grief  in  a 
day  or  two." 

From  Everywhere  tells  this  story  of  Florence 
Nightingale,  found  also  in  Little  Folks. 

"There  is  a  beautiful  story  told  of  Florence  Night- 


308       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

ingale,  the  famous  nurse  of  the  Crimean  War,  which 
shows  that  when  she  was  a  child  she  had  the  nursing 
instinct  strongly  developed. 

"  Her  wounded  patient  was  a  Scotch  shepherd  dog. 
Some  boys  had  hurt  and  apparently  broken  its  leg  by 
throwing  stones,  and  it  had  been  decided  to  hang  it  to 
put  it  out  of  its  misery. 

'  The  little  girl  went  fearlessly  up  to  where  he  lay, 
saying  in  a  soft,  caressing  tone,  '  Poor  Cap,  poor  Cap.' 
It  was  enough.  He  looked  up  with  his  speaking  brown 
eyes,  now  bloodshot  and  full  of  pain,  into  her  face,  and 
did  not  resent  it  when,  kneeling  down  beside  him,  she 
stroked  with  her  little  ungloved  hand  the  large,  intelli- 
gent head. 

"  To  the  vicar  he'%as  rather  less  amenable  but  by 
dint  of  coaxing  he  at  last  allowed  him  to  touch  and 
examine  the  wounded  leg,  Florence  persuasively  telling 
him  that  it  was  '  all  right.'  Indeed,  she  was  on  the 
floor  beside  him,  with  his  head  on  her  lap,  keeping  up 
a  continuous  murmur,  such  as  a  mother  does  over  a  sick 
child.  '  Well,'  said  the  vicar,  rising  from  his  examina- 
tion, '  so  far  as  I  can  tell,  there  are  no  bones  broken ; 
the  leg  is  badly  bruised.  It  ought  to  be  fomented  to 
take  the  inflammation  and  swelling  down.'  '  How  do 
you  foment  ? '  asked  Florence.  '  With  hot  cloths 
dipped  in  boiling  water,'  answered  the  vicar.  '  Then 
that's  quite  easy.  I'll  stay  and  do  it.  Now,  Jimmy, 
get  sticks  and  make  the  kettle  boil.' 

"  There  was  no  hesitation  in  the  child's  manner;  she 
was  told  what  ought  to  be  done,  and  she  set  about  doing 
it  as  a  simple  matter  of  course.  '  But  they  will  be  ex- 
pecting you  at  home,'  said  the  vicar.  '  Not  if  you  tell 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   309 

them  I'm  here,'  answered  Florence;  '  and  my  sister  and 
one  of  the  maids  can  come  and  take  me  home  in  time 
for  tea,  and,'  she  hesitated,  '  they  had  better  bring  some 
old  flannel  and  cloths ;  there  does  not  seem  to  be  much 
here.  But  you  will  wait  and  show  me  how  to  foment, 
won't  you?  '  '  Well,  yes,'  said  the  vicar,  carried  away 
by  the  quick  energy  of  the  little  girl.  And  soon  the 
fire  was  lit  and  the  water  boiling.  An  old  smock  frock 
of  the  shepherd  had  been  discovered  in  a  corner,  which 
Florence  had  deliberately  torn  in  pieces,  and  to  the 
vicar's  remark,  '  What  will  Roger  say  ?  '  she  answered, 
'  We'll  get  him  another.'  And  so  Florence  Nightin- 
gale made  her  first  compress  and  spent  all  that  bright 
spring  day  in  nursing  her  first  patient — the  shepherd 
dog." 

"  Sir  Walter  Scott  was  perhaps  the  most  devoted  dog 
lover  that  ever  was,"  says  the  Westminster  Review. 
"  Anyone  who  has  ever  read  Lockhart's  '  Life  '  will 
readily  admit  this.  '  Scott  and  his  dogs  '  is  a  well- 
known  picture,  and  has  become  a  well-known  phrase. 

"  Who  can  forget  the  description  of  Camp  and 
Maida?  It  was  Camp  who  once  bit  the  baker,  and  was 
severely  reproved  for  his  misdeed,  after  which  he  never 
heard  the  word  '  baker  '  mentioned,  even  in  the  most 
casual  way,  without  crawling  under  the  table  in  the 
most  dire  distress. 

"  Scott  felt  Camp's  death  acutely.  It  is  said  that  on 
the  evening  of  the  sad  event  he  excused  himself  from  at- 
tending a  dinner  party,  pleading  as  his  apology  'the 
death  of  a  dear  old  friend.' 

"  Maida  was,  if  possible,  even  more  beloved.  She 
was  a  cross  between  a  wolf  and  a  deer  hound.  Scores 


310       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

of  artists  painted  Maida's  likeness.  Once  a  friend  of 
Scott's  picked  up  at  Munich  a  common  snuffbox,  price 
one  franc,  with  Maida  for  a  frontispiece,  and  the  su- 
perscription, "  Der  liebeling  Hund  von  Walter  Scott," 
showing  how  far  the  fame  of  the  dog  lover  had 
traveled. 

"  Maida  died  of  sheer  old  age.  The  well-known 
epitaph  for  her  grave,  by  Lockhart,  ran  thus : 

"  Maidae  marmorea  dormis  sub  imagine  Maida, 
Ad  ianuam  domini  sit  tibi  terra  levis," 

which  Scott  translated  into  English  thus: 

"  Beneath  the  sculptured  form  which  late  you  wore 
Sleep  soundly,  Maida,  at  your  master's  door." 

"  Ouida  "  is  very  fond  of  dogs  and  opposed  to  muz- 
zling, as  are  most  persons  who  have  given  the  matter 
any  thought: 

"  A  short  time  ago  Willie  Strange,  son  of  Alderman 
Strange,  of  Eastbourne,  was  fined  by  the  Eastbourne 
Magistrates  for  allowing  a  pet  dog  to  be  at  large  un- 
muzzled. The  little  boy  produced  a  money-box  in 
court  and  paid  the  fine  in  small  coins.  '  Ouida,'  hav- 
ing seen  an  account  of  the  case  in  the  foreign  news- 
papers, has  sent  the  youthful  defendant  a  letter  from 
Italy,  dated  January  24.  The  letter,  which  is  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Nevile  Strange,  of  Leamington,  the 
boy's  brother,  is  as  follows : 

"  '  MY  DEAR  BOY  :  I  have  seen  your  action  as  re- 
corded in  the  papers  with  much  pleasure.  Any  devo- 
tion you  pay  to  your  dog  will  be  repaid  to  you  a  thou- 
sand fold  by  his  affection.  It  is  only  men  who  betray 
those  who  befriend  them.  The  muzzling  craze  is  a 
brutal  folly  and  a  disgrace  to  England.  Accept  this 


Devotion  cf  Human  Beings  to  Animals   311 

little  half  napoleon  for  your  savings-box,  and  if  ever  I 
can  be  useful  to  you  or  your  dog  command  me.  1  re- 
main yours,  with  much  sympathy.  OUIDA.'  ' 

Yet  all  these  pets  are  no  dearer  to  the  rich,  than  are 
the  pets  of  the  poor  to  them;  no  dearer  than  Jack  to 
the  children  of  Thomas  O'Hanlon,  a  laborer  in  Pater- 
son,  N.  J.  He  was  a  homeless  waif  whom  boys  stoned, 
and  who  had  crawled  into  an  out-of-the-way  place  to 
starve,  when  the  O'Hanlon  children  found  him  and 
took  him  to  their  poor  abode.  When  the  dog's  license 
had  expired, — a  dog  ought  not  to  be  licensed  any  more 
than  a  pet  canary  or  a  pet  cat,  but  should  be  kept  in 
the  homes  of  the  poor  as  a  guard  and  companion — 
there  was  no  money  in  the  house  to  pay  for  the  renewal 
of  Jack's  license.  The  World,  for  October  24,  1897, 
thus  describes  the  devotion  of  the  family  for  Jack : 
"  O'Hanlon  was  summoned  to  court  and  reprimanded 
for  not  getting  the  license  renewed.  When  he  ex- 
plained that  he  had  no  money  to  buy  bread,  much  less 
dog  licenses,  the  magistrate  committed  him  to  jail  for 
ten  days,  remarking  that  a  man  so  poor  had  no  business 
to  keep  a  dog. 

"  The  dog  was  to  be  taken  away  from  the  O'Hanlon 
home.  The  four  children  were  sobbing  with  grief  and 
terror.  Jack,  their  pet,  their  companion,  and  friend, 
was  to  be  dragged,  howling,  from  their  embraces.  Mrs. 
O'Hanlon  had  a  little  money  she  had  earned  by  going 
out  washing  and  scrubbing.  She  needed  it  sorely  to 
buy  food.  But  she  took  it,  went  out  and  gathered  a  lit- 
tle more  from  sympathizers,  paid  the  license  fee  and 
the  costs  to  the  county  of  her  husband's  arrest,  brought 
him  home  and  kept  the  dog. 


312       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"  A  Sunday  World  reporter  went  to  Paterson  to 
see  the  dog  who  could  arouse  such  devotion  and  self- 
sacrifice  in  the  breasts  of  poor,  toiling,  humble  people. 
The  O'Hanlons  live  in  a  tiny,  weather-beaten  shed, 
set  well  back  from  the  street.  It  was  the  abode  of 
dire,  cruel  poverty.  The  furniture  was  old  and  broken ; 
there  was  no  fire  in  the  stove;  the  three  little  children 
were  in  rags  and  tatters,  and  all,  even  the  baby,  were 
barefooted. 

"  '  May  I  see  your  dog  ?  '  I  asked  the  little  girl. 

"'Jack?'  she  asked,  while  a  smile  lighted  up  her 
little  face,  serious  and  anxious  enough  for  a  woman  of 
twenty-five.  '  Oh,  yes,  ma'am,  you  may  see  Jack. 
We've  been  having  lots  of  trouble  about  Jack  lately. 
We're  so  poor,  ma'am,'  she  continued  with  artless 
simplicity.  '  Sometimes  we  don't  have  anything  to  eat 
but  bread  and  tea.  And  my  father  couldn't  buy  a 
license  for  Jack.  So  they  put  him  in  jail,  and  were 
going  to  take  Jack  off  and  kill  him,  I  guess.  But  my 
mother — she  goes  out  to  work,  you  know — she  had 
eighty  cents,  and  she  got  about  two  dollars  that  was 
due  my  father  for  being  watchman  at  Gallin's,  and  so 
we  saved  Jack.' 

"  '  Do  you  love  Jack  so  much  ?  ' 

'  Oh,  yes,  ma'am,  I  don't  know  how  we  could  live 
without  Jack.  He  knows  such  a  lot.  He  can't  do  no 
tricks,  but  he  knows  me  and  the  children  and  loves  us 
so.' 

"  She  ran  ahead  until  she  came  to  a  dreadful  back 
yard,  where,  among  coal  cinders,  rags,  old  bottles,  tin 
cans,  and  refuse  of  all  sorts,  a  homely,  scrubby  black 
dog  lay  huddled  in  the  dirt,  looking  up  with  wistful, 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   313 

hungry  eyes  at  the  sound  of  the  childish  voices.  Jack 
rose,  and  slouched  up  to  his  friends,  wagging  his  apol- 
ogy for  a  tail,  and  licking  the  tiny,  thin  hands  held  out 
to  him. 

"  '  Wouldn't  you  sell  Jack?  '  I  asked. 

"  Mamie's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  '  Oh/  she  said,  with 
a  world  of  pathos  in  her  voice,  '  we  couldn't  sell  Jack.' 

"  But  if  you  were  to  sell  Jack  perhaps  you  could  have 
toys,  even  a  doll.' 

"  Mamie's  eyes  shone  for  a  moment.  '  I  should  love 
a  doil,'  she  said  thoughtfully;  then,  looking  down  at  the 
humble  black  friend  who  sat  on  his  haunches  regarding 
her  with  a  look  of  anxiety  as  if  he  felt  she  was  deciding 
his  fate,  '  but,  oh,  ma'am,  I'd  rather  have  Jack.' 

"  Jack  rose  and  wriggled  to  his  loyal  little  friend, 
bobbing  his  head  as  if  in  recognition  of  her  fidelity, 
and  licked  her  cold,  red  fingers. 

"  '  Would  you  share  your  food  with  Jack?  ' 

"  '  I  have,  many  a  time,  ma'am.  I  always  will.  Of 
course  Jack  don't  get  bones  or  meat  very  often  because 
we're  so  poor.  And  dogs  don't  like  bread  crusts  very 
much,  and  ' — with  unconscious  humor — '  they  can't 
drink  tea.  So  Jack  goes  hungry  a  good  many  times.' 

"  As  the  reporter  came  away  the  sunny-haired  baby 
was  patting  the  dog's  head  and  cooing  to  it.  Jack  had 
risen  on  his  hind  feet  and  was  gently  licking  the  baby's 
face  with  his  long,  rough  tongue." 

The  St.  James  Gazette  tells  this  story  of  Jack,  the 
pet  fox  terrier  of  Sir  Henry  Hawkins :  '  '  Jack  had  an 
inherent  hatred  of  suspicious  customers  likely  to  be 
dangerous/  the  judge  remarked.  '  He  could  detect  one 
in  a  moment,  and  he  also  appeared  to  know  a  dog- 


314       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

stealer  by  intuition.  These  gentry  were  constantly  after 
him,  but  as  I,  from  sad  experience,  was  tolerably  well 
versed  in  their  ways,  I  need  scarcely  tell  you  that  I 
never  let  Jack  wander  a  yard  out  of  my  sight — at  any 
rate,  out  of  doors.  Had  I  done  so,  he  would  have  been 
snapped  up  instantly,  for,  as  you  are  aware,  he  was  not 
a  stranger  in  the  land.  Whenever  I  passed  a  man  who 
seemed  to  me  to  be  a  member  of  the  dog-stealing  bri- 
gade, I  used  to  say :  '  Jack,  come  here — is  that  a  dog- 
stealer  ?  '  He  knew  the  meaning  of  these  words,  and 
would  rush  to  my  side  immediately.  He  was  never 
stolen/ 

"  Jack  knew  the  time  of  day  when  his  master  was 
wont  to  depart  for  the  law  courts,  and  often  delighted 
in  jumping  into  the  cab  and  accompanying  the  judge  to 
his  work.  '  Jack  liked  his  muzzle,  after  once  he  became 
accustomed  to  it/  Sir  Henry  observed  presently,  '  and 
for  a  very  good  reason — he  found  that  wearing  it 
was  the  only  way  to  get  out.  Poor  little  fellow !  he 
was  taken  ill,  and  although  he  received  unremitting 
attention  he  gradually  sank.'  Sir  Henry  was  with  him 
at  the  end  and  was  convinced  that  he  knew  he  was  going 
to  die.  '  No,  I  shall  never  have  another  dog/  Sir 
Henry  added,  deeply  touched  at  the  recollection  of  his 
lost  pet.  '  After  having  liked  a  dog  and  lived  with  it 
for  years  one  can't  replace  it.  I  loved  my  little  Jack,  and 
it  was  a  terrible  shock  when  he  was  taken  from  me.' 
Until  his  death  a  few  years  ago,  Jack,  the  fox  terrier, 
was  Sir  Henry's  inseparable  companion  and  friend." 

"  Du  Maurier,"  says  Harper's  Weekly,  "  loved  dogs, 
as  we  all  do  who  are  normally  constructed.  His  pic- 
tures are  good  evidence  on  this  point,  and  one  of  the 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   3 1 5 

conspicuous  ornaments  of  his  Hampstead  house  was  the 
skin  of  his  huge  Newfoundland  pet.  One  day,  while 
taking  his  favorite  walk  about  the  heath,  he  saw  a 
gathering  of  people  on  the  borders  of  the  shallow  pond 
which  is  a  particular  attraction  to  Hampstead.  A  thin 
coating  of  ice  covered  the  water,  excepting  where  a  little 
dog  had  broken  through  and  was  ineffectually  strug- 
gling to  get  out  again.  The  ice  was,  however,  so  weak 
that  whenever  the  little  creature  drew  its  front  paws 
up  over  the  edge  it  broke  under  its  weight,  and  forced 
him  to  repeat  this  painful  operation  again  and  again, 
until  it  looked  as  though  the  poor  animal  would  become 
exhausted  in  its  efforts. 

"  Du  Maurier  was  in  delicate  health  at  the  time,  and 
knowing  that  the  water  was  nowhere  more  than  three 
feet  deep,  called  to  the  idlers  in  the  crowd,  '  Here's  half 
a  crown  for  the  man  who  fetches  that  dog  ashore ! ' 
The  offer  was  not  accepted;  at  least,  not  soon  enough 
to  satisfy  the  mercurial  artist.  So,  despite  the  doctor, 
into  the  pond  rushed  Du  Maurier,  breaking  his  way 
through  the  thin  ice  until  he  reached  the  drowning 
doggie,  which  he  seized  in  his  arms  and  brought  ashore 
amid  the  cheers  of  the  bystanders." 

The  American  Missionary  Association,  New  York. 
says  that  Abraham  Lincoln  when  a  schoolboy  rescued  a 
little  dog  that  was  being  abused  by  schoolmates,  and 
taking  it  up  in  his  arms,  carried  it  to  a  place  of  safety, 
facing  the  ridicule  and  stones  of  his  companions. 

Another  story  of  Lincoln  illustrates  his  kind  heart. 
He  was  riding  with  a  party  of  lawyers  from  one  town 
to  another  to  attend  court,  when  as  they  passed  some 
trees,  he  noticed  that  a  little  bird  had  fallen  from  a 


316       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

nest  and  was  fluttering  by  the  roadside.  Mr.  Lincoln 
stopped  his  horse,  took  up  the  bird  tenderly  and  set  it 
on  a  limb  near  the  nest.  His  companions  laughed  and 
asked  why  he  had  delayed  them  for  such  a  little  thing  as 
that.  Lincoln  replied,  ''  I  can  only  say  this,  that  I  feel 
better  for  it." 

Miss  Sarah  J.  Eddy,  in  Friends  and  Helpers,  a  book 
which  should  be  used  in  every  school  for  supplementary 
reading,  tells  this  story  of  a  brave  kinsman  of  mine. 
"  Some  years  ago,  General  David  Sloane  Stanley,  of 
the  United  States  Army,  was  leading  a  force  across  the 
plains.  He  was  laying  out  the  route  for  a  great  rail- 
road. There  were  two  thousand  men,  twenty-five  hun- 
dred horses  and  a  train  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  wagons 
heavily  laden. 

"  One  day  the  general  was  riding  at  the  head  of  the 
broad  column,  when  suddenly  his  voice  rang  out, 
'Halt!' 

"  A  bird's  nest  lay  on  the  ground  directly  in  front  of 
him.  In  another  moment  the  horses  would  have  tram- 
pled on  the  nestlings.  The  mother  bird  was  flying  about 
and  chirping  in  the  greatest  anxiety.  But  the  brave 
general  had  not  brought  out  his  army  to  destroy  a 
bird's  nest. 

"  He  halted  for  a  moment,  looked  at  the  little  birds  in 
the  nest  below,  and  then  gave  the  order,  '  Left  oblique ! ' 

"  Then  horses,  mules,  and  wagons  turned  aside  and 
spared  the  home  of  the  helpless  birds.  Months  and  even 
years  after,  those  who  crossed  the  plains  saw  a  great 
bend  in  the  trail.  It  was  the  bend  made  to  avoid  crush- 
ing the  birds'  nest.  Truly,  great  hearts  are  tender 
hearts,  and  the  loving  are  the  daring.'  " 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   3 1 7 

Frances  Power  Cobbe  in  her  Autobiography  says 
John  Bright  told  her  "  of  a  poor  cripple  woman  in  a 
miserable  cottage  near  Llandudno,  where  he  usually 
spent  his  holidays.  He  had  got  into  the  habit  of  visiting 
this  poor  creature,  who  could  not  stir  from  her  bed, 
but  lay  there  all  day  long,  her  husband  being  out  at 
work  as  a  laborer.  Sometimes  a  neighbor  would  look  in 
and  give  her  food,  but  unless  one  did  so,  she  was  en- 
tirely helpless.  Her  only  companion  was  her  dog,  a 
fine  collie,  who  lay  beside  her  on  the  floor,  ran  in  and 
out,  licked  her  poor  useless  hands,  and  showed  his  ap- 
preciation in  a  hundred  ways.  Bright  grew  fond  of  the 
dog,  and  the  dog  always  welcomed  him  each  year  with 
gambols  of  joy.  One  summer  he  came  to  the  cottage, 
and  the  helpless  cripple  lay  on  her  pallet  still,  but  the 
dog  did  not  come  out  to  him  as  usual,  and  his  first 
question  to  the  woman  was,  'Where  is  your  collie?' 
The  answer  was  that  her  husband  had  drowned  the  dog 
to  save  the  expense  of  feeding  it!  " 

Mrs.  Evans,  great  aunt  of  Charles  Stewart  Parnell, 
lived  next  door  to  Miss  Cobbe  at  Newbridge.  Sh°  died 
in  Paris.  "  Her  remains,  enclosed  in  a  leaden  coffin," 
says  Miss  Cobbe,  "  were  brought  back  to  Portrane  and 
her  Irish  terrier,  who  adored  her,  somehow  recognized 
the  dreadful  chest  and  exhibited  a  frenzy  of  grief,  leap- 
ing upon  it  and  tearing  at  the  pall  with  piteous  cries. 
Next  morning,  strange  to  say,  the  poor  brute  was,  with 
six  others  about  the  place,  in  such  a  state  of  excitement 
as  to  be  supposed  to  be  rabid  and  it  was  thought  neces- 
sary to  shoot  them  all.  One  of  them  leaped  the  gates  of 
the  yard  and  escaping  bit  two  of  my  father's  cows, 
which  became  rabid  and  were  shot  in  my  presence. 


3 1 8       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Mrs.  Evans  was  buried  beside  her  beloved  husband  in 
the  little  roofless  and  ruined  church  of  Portrane,  close 
by  the  shore.  On  another  grave  in  the  same  church  be- 
longing to  the  same  family,  a  dog  had  some  years  pre- 
viously died  of  grief." 

Elsewhere  Miss  Cobbe  writes :  "  Later  on  I  had  the 
companionship  of  another  beautiful  mouse-colored 
Pomeranian,  brought  as  a  puppy  from  Switzerland. 
In  my  hardworking  life  in  Bristol  in  the  schools  and 
workhouse  she  followed  me  and  ingratiated  herself 
everywhere,  and  my  solitary  evenings  were  much  the 
happier  for  dear  Hajjin's  company.  Many  years  after- 
wards she  was  laid  under  the  sod  of  our  garden  in 
Hereford  Square. 

"  Another  dog  of  the  same  breed  whom  I  sent  away 
at  one  year  old  to  live  in  the  country  was  returned  to 
me  eight  years  afterward,  old  and  diseased.  The  poor 
beast  recognized  me  after  a  few  moments'  eager  exami- 
nation and  uttered  an  actual  scream  of  joy  when  I 
called  her  by  name;  exhibiting  every  token  of  tender 
affection  for  me  ever  afterwards.  When  one  reflects 
what  eight  years  signify  in  the  life  of  a  dog — almost 
equivalent  to  the  distance  between  sixteen  and  sixty 
in  a  human  being — some  measure  is  afforded  by  this  in- 
stance of  the  durability  of  a  dog's  attachment.  Hap- 
pily, kind  Dr.  Hogan  cured  poor  Dee  of  her  malady, 
and  she  and  I  enjoyed  five  happy  years  of  companion- 
ship ere  she  died  here  in  Hengwrt.  I  have  dedicated 
my  '  Friend  of  Man  '  to  her  memory." 

Robert  Browning  loved  animals  and  wrote  Miss 
Cobbe :  "  I  would  rather  submit  to  the  worst  of  deaths 
so  far  as  pain  goes,  than  have  a  single  dog  or  cat  tor- 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   319 

tured  on  the  pretence  of  sparing  a  twinge  or  two. 
I  shall  rejoice  if  that  abominable  and  stupid  cruelty 
of  pigeon  shooting  is  put  a  stop  to.    The  other  detesta- 
ble practice,   vivisection,   strikes   deeper   root,   I    fear; 
but  God  bless  who  ever  tugs  at  it." 

An  exchange  has  the  following  account  of  Mr.  Henry 
Manget  of  Atlanta,  who  took  the  prize  for  garden 
farming  at  the  Omaha  Exposition,  and  who  trains  ani- 
mals as  wonderfully  as  he  grows  vegetables.  "  In 
speaking  of  them  recently,  he  said :  '  When  we  call 
in  dumb  beasts  to  be  our  assistants  we  should  be  kind 
to  them.  Love  is  the  great  ruling  power  of  the  uni- 
verse. If  my  dog  loves  me,  my  horse  or  my  cow,  I 
get  from  them  a  return  which  it  is  impossible  to  get 
from  dumb  driven  beasts  suffering  under  the  brutal 
lash.'  Here,  calling  his  collie  dog,  he  told  it  to  kiss  the 
horse,  a  feat  which  it  performed  in  most  artistic  manner. 
1  Nor  is  that  all,'  said  Mr.  Manget.  '  Here  is  my  flock 
of  ducks.  They  understand  English  as  well  as  you  do. 
It  is  now  noonday.  Yet  upon  my  word  you  will  see 
them  go  to  roost  and  to  sleep.' 

"  Then  calling  out  to  the  ducks,  about  eighteen  or 
twenty  in  number,  he  said :  '  Go  to  bed.'  The  order 
struck  the  ducks  with  some  evident  amazement,  for 
while  they  stopped  their  plucking  of  grass  and  looked 
upon  him  as  if  in  semi-revolt,  yet  upon  observing  his 
steady  gaze,  the  leading  duck  started  off  to  the  fowl- 
house,  walked  into  the  small  door,  followed  by  all  its 
companions,  and  they  remained  there  until  Mr.  Manget 
gave  the  word  for  them  to  come  out  again. 

"  '  I  train  everything  about  me  in  this  way,'  said  he, 
1  so  that  there  is  a  perfect  understanding  upon  the  place. 


320      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

The  land  understands  me,  the  horse  understands  me, 
the  ducks  understand  me,  my  dog  understands  me.' 

"  By  this  time,  having  been  walking  toward  the  house 
during  the  conversation,  he  reached  the  stable. 

'  I  want  you,'  said  Mr.  Manget,  '  to  see  how  this 
stable  is  arranged.  Here  is  a  stall  for  my  horse.  You 
observe  there  is  a  double  window  in  it,  that  it  is  per- 
fectly clean,  and  that  there  is  an  abundance  of  food  in 
the  loft.  To  a  horse  has  been  given  the  gift  of  sight 
and  of  the  enjoyment  of  scenery.  After  my  horse  has 
worked  hard  for  me,  he  has  earned  a  right  to  all  the 
enjoyments  which  I  can  give  back  to  him,  and  for  this 
reason  you  see  here  a  window  washed  as  clean  as  the 
window  in  my  house,-  so  that  the  horse,  while  in  his 
stall,  can  look  out  and  see  what  is  going  on.  The  same 
thing  is  true  in  my  cow  stall  here.  If  I  expect  God  to 
reward  my  labor,  I  must  in  return  reward  the  labor  of 
those  who  work  for  me.' ' 

There  is  a  dog,  Wang,  at  the  Gordon  Boys'  Orphan- 
age at  Dover,  England,  that  once  belonged  to  General 
Gordon  of  the  English  army,  which  money  could  not 
buy.  General  Gordon  on  leaving  China  for  Khartoum, 
brought  three  rare  Chow  puppies  with  him,  and  gave 
one  of  them,  Wang,  to  the  daughter  of  Sir  John  Adies, 
then  commanding  at  Gibraltar.  Wang  stayed  with  this 
lady  until  her  husband,  in  the  Royal  Artillery,  went  to 
London.  Wang  was  then  given  to  Major  Seel  of  the 
King's  regiment,  and  later,  to  the  orphanage.  He  is 
over  fourteen  years  of  age,  deaf  and  lame,  but  greatly 
loved  by  all,  and  tenderly  cared  for  by  his  little  keeper, 
Robert  Robinson.  Robert  was  turned  out  of  doors  by  a 
bad  father  in  Crewe,  when  he  tramped  from  place  to 


i.  WANG,  CHOW  DOG  FROM  CHINA,  owned  by  the  Gordon  Boys' 
Orphanage,  Dover,  England. —  2.  "CnuMS,"  DON  AND  Trr- 
WILLOW,  owned  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Palmer,  Xatick,  Mass.  (p.  330). 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   321 

place,  and  was  finally  found  in  London,  a  mere  bundle 
of  rags  and  bones,  asleep  at  the  foot  of  the  Gordon 
statue  in  Trafalgar  Square,  whence  he  was  taken  to  the 
orphanage  and  became  the  keeper  of  Wang.  "  Wang 
died  recently,  and  Robert  is  a  soldier  in  the  army  now." 
Mr.  Thomas  Blackman,  the  founder,  at  Gordon's  death 
in  1885,  and  treasurer  of  the  orphanage,  writes  me, 
"  The  institution  has  over  one  hundred  homeless,  or- 
phan boys,  and  the  founder  wisely  allows  them  many 
pets,  dogs,  cats,  pigeons,  etc." 

The  Dog  Fancier,  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  January, 
1899,  tells  this  incident  of  the  courtesy  of  Washington, 
and  his  kindness  to  dogs : 

"  A  new  story  is  told  in  the  lately  published  memoirs 
of  the  Chevalier  de  Pontgibaud,  a  volunteer  in  the 
American  Revolution.  On  one  occasion  he  and  a  party 
of  officers  were  dining  with  General  Washington  at 
Valley  Forge.  In  the  middle  of  the  meal  conversation 
was  interrupted  by  the  sudden  intrusion  of  a  large  and 
handsome  sporting  dog,  whose  collar  and  neat  appear- 
ance showed  that  he  had  an  affectionate  and  devoted 
master.  He  was  evidently  very  hungry  and  thirsty, 
and  General  Washington,  to  the  joy  of  the  Frenchman, 
treated  him  as  a  guest  and  gave  him  a  hearty  dinner. 
The  dog  became  friendly,  and  allowed  the  general  to 
read  the  inscription  on  his  collar,  which  was  '  General 
Howe.'  The  great  commander  called  an  orderly,  and 
sent  the  dog,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  to  the  British  lines. 
The  same  afternoon  General  Howe  sent  back  a  letter 
of  thanks  for  the  distinguished  courtesy  of  his  foe." 

The  Chicago  Record  tells  this  kindly  incident  of  a 
colored  corporal  in  the  Spanish- American  war : 


322       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

"The  night  of  the  El  Caney  affair,"  said  the  late 
lamented  General  Lawton,  "  when  my  division  was 
marching  back  to  El  Paso  to  take  up  a  new  position  the 
next  morning,  I  was  sitting  with  Major  G.  Creighton 
Webb,  Inspector-General  of  my  staff,  and  one  of  the 
pluckiest  men  I  know,  at  the  side  of  the  road.  My  men 
were  filing  past,  and  we  watched  them.  They  were 
tired  out,  but  full  of  ginger.  The  day  was  just  begin- 
ning to  dawn  when  we  heard  some  one  coming  down 
the  road,  talking  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  He  talked  and 
laughed  and  laughed  and  talked,  and  the  men  with  him 
were  chattering  and  joking. 

"  *  Here  come  the  colored  troops,'  said  Webb,  and 
sure  enough  the  Twenty-fifth  Infantry  came  along. 
The  man  who  was  doing  the  talking  was  a  six-foot  cor- 
poral. He  carried  two  guns  and  two  cartridge  belts 
loaded  full,  and  the  man  to  whom  the  extra  gun  and  belt 
belonged  was  limping  alongside  him.  The  tall  cor- 
poral was  weighted  down  with  his  blanket  and  haver- 
sack, but  in  his  arms  he  carried  a  dog,  the  mascot  of  his 
company. 

"  '  Here,  corporal/  said  Webb,  "  didn't  you  march 
all  last  night  ?  ' 

"  '  Yes,  sir/  said  the  corporal,  trying  to  salute. 

"  'And  didn't  you  fight  all  day?  ' 

"  '  Sure,  sir/ 

'  And  haven't  you  been  marching  ever  since  ten 
o'clock  to-night  ?  ' 

"  '  Yes,  sir/  said  the  corporal. 

"  '  Well,  then/  shouted  Webb,  '  what  are  you  carry- 
ing that  dog  for  ?  ' 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   323 

'  Why,  boss,  the  dog's  tired/  was  the  reply." 
With  all  the  indifference  to  animals  in  the  world, 
there  are  yet  thousands  of  kind  hearts.  Many  a  good 
woman  does  not  fail  to  put  out  a  dish  of  water  and  one 
of  food  for  the  stray  dog  or  cat  that  may  come  near  her 
home.  She  has  "  given  a  cup  of  cold  water  in  His 
name  and  she  will  in  no  wise  lose  her  reward."  Or 
she  makes  effort  and  finds  a  home  for  the  homeless,  not 
forgetting  to  keep  some  in  her  own  house,  however 
much  care  they  may  be,  realizing  that  life  i«  not  given 
us  to  shirk  responsibilities,  but  to  do  our  duty  as  far  as 
possible  for  those  who  are  speechless,  as  well  as  for 
human  beings. 

The  New  York  World  tells  of  Mrs.  Mary  Hansler 
of  309  East  Twenty-sixth  street,  who  has  three  former 
strays  which  she  cares  for  in  her  own  home,  Rollo,  a 
shepherd  dog  who  was  found  seven  years  ago  in  a  snow- 
drift, nearly  frozen;  Pico,  a  pug,  who  nearly  starved, 
was  taken  off  the  street,  and  Jack,  a  big  black  creature 
saved  in  a  blizzard.  Mrs.  Hansler  has  found  homes  for 
many,  and  when  injured  beyond  help,  she  has  them  mer- 
cifully killed.  In  a  "  mad  dog  "  scare,  when  so  many 
helpless  creatures,  either  lost,  or  ill,  are  goaded  into 
frenzy  by  a  thoughtless  crowd,  Mrs.  Hansler  did  a 
noble  act  on  Fourteenth  street.  People  were  running 
in  every  direction  through  fear,  when  a  little  woman  in 
black  said,  "  Don't  be  afraid.  He  is  not  mad,  only 
hungry,"  and  approached  the  snapping  and  frightened 
animal,  talked  to  him  softly,  laid  her  hand  upon  his 
head,  and  carried  him  home,  and  thus  saved  him  from 
a  brutal  death. 


324       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

The  celebrated  Russian  surgeon,  Professor  Nikolai 
Pirogow,  became  very  fond  of  animals  in  his  later 
years.  He  wrote  in  his  memoirs : 

"  Thirty  years  ago  I  looked  upon  sympathy  with 
dogs  being  vivisected,  and  even  upon  any  affection  for 
animals,  as  affected  and  sentimental.  Time  changes 
many  things,  and  I,  who  once  had  no  pity  for  the  suf- 
ferings which  I  inflicted  on  dozens  of  animals  by  vivi- 
section (chloroform  was  not  known  at  that  time), 
would  not  now  decide  to  cut  a  dog  open  out  of  scien- 
tific curiosity,  and  I  can  easily  believe  what  at  first 
struck  me  as  incredible :  that  Haller,  in  his  old  age,  sank 
into  melancholy,  attributing  it  to  having  vivisected  in 
his  youth,  as  Zimmermann,  if  I  mistake  not,  tells  us  in 
his  work,  '  Ueber  die  Einsamkeit.' 

"  Those  incidents  which  weigh  especially  heavy  upon 
me  are  when  I  tortured  animals  unnecessarily  out  of 
ignorance,  inexperience,  folly,  or  God  only  knows  why. 
In  fact,  the  most  bitter  melancholy  overcomes  us  at  the 
thought  of  violence  done  by  us  against  our  proper  feel- 
ings. With  whatever  indifference  we  have  wounded 
the  feelings  of  others,  we  can  never  be  certain  that  it 
may  not  sooner  or  later  be  revenged  on  our  own  feel- 
ings. When  *  My  Lady,'  dying  in  agonies,  kept  her 
eyes  fixed  on  me,  and,  notwithstanding  her  sufferings 
and  groaning,  wagged  her  tail  slowly  to  greet  me, 
then  the  remembrance  of  the  tortures  inflicted  thirty 
or  forty  years  ago  on  hundreds  of  dogs  like  '  My  Lady ' 
came  to  my  mind  with  the  love  for  my  little  dog,  and 
my  heart  was  unutterably  sad." 

Rev.  Dr.  George  Leon  Walker,  the  late  able  and 
beloved  pastor  of  my  old  church  in  Hartford,  Conn., 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   325 

the  First  or  Centre  Church,  said  to  his  people  in  May, 
1891,  in  a  sermon  on  Our  Humble  Associates:  "I 
have  been  the  possessor  of  the  affection  of  two  dogs, 
as  unlike  one  another,  though  of  the  same  nominal 
breed,  as  any  two  men.  And  when  I  think  of  the  big 
heart  and  boundless  passionate  love  which  one  of 
those  two  creatures  gave  me,  I  count  it  one  of  the  great 
mistakes,  yea,  sins  of  my  life  that  I  allowed  a  friend  of 
mine  in  a  great  city  to  take  him  to  keep  awhile,  when 
he  mourned  for  me,  as  I  afterward  learned,  with  con- 
stant and  inconsolable  sorrow,  and  was  finally  hope- 
lessly lost,  I  doubt  not  in  unavailing  effort  to  find  me 
again.  I  hope  no  one  here  will  smile  when  I  say,  sol- 
emnly, that  the  pain  of  that  poor  heart  has  lain  upon  me 
for  near  twenty  years  a  remorse  and  a  burden." 

He  speaks  of  a  little  dog  who  was  for  eleven  years  a 
member  of  his  household.  '  This  little  dog  knew  just 
as  well  as  I  did  when  he  had  broken  some  household 
rule  or  behavior;  and  on  such  occasions  he  received  the 
small  chastisement  allotted  for  disobedience  with  per- 
fect recognition  of  its  desert  and  with  eager  readiness  to 
be  reconciled.  But  on  one  occasion  when  he  was  thus 
lightly  disciplined  for  a  supposed  offense,  his  behavior 
arrested  my  notice  from  its  peculiarity  and  awoke  the 
instant  inquiry  in  my  mind,  whether  he  had,  perhaps, 
not  done  the  thing  supposed.  He  showed  none  of  his 
customary  desire  to  be  restored  to  favor.  He  went 
sadly  to  his  cushion  in  the  corner  and  refused  to  re- 
spond to  my  caress.  No  physical  hurt  could  explain 
his  behavior.  He  could  scarcely  be  said  to  have  been 
physically  hurt  at  all.  I  inquired  into  the  matter.  He 
had  been  wronged.  He  had  not  done  the  thing  for 


326       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

which  the  trifling  discipline  had  been  inflicted.  He  had 
been  treated  unjustly,  and  he  knew  it.  And  he  made  me 
know  it  also.  I  apologized  to  him,  and  he  knew  that  I 
apologized,  just  as  well  as  any  man  could  know;  but  it 
was  forty-eight  hours  before  he  would  condescend  to 
forgive  the  injustice.  .  .  .  The  little  dog  who 
made  me  a  wiser  and  I  hope  a  better  man  for  his  eleven 
years'  companionship  with  me,  was  brought  up  with  a 
much  older  and  larger  one;  who,  when  my  little  friend 
was  about  a  year  old,  fell  sick,  rheumatic,  and  appe- 
titeless,  as  do  many  other  old  people.  Whereupon  the 
little  dog  constituted  himself  nurse  and  comforter  to 
his  older  companion;  carried  him  food  from  his  own 
supply;  danced  about  him  to  cheer  his  spirits  up;  and 
when  he  could  induce  him  to  eat,  displayed  the  liveliest 
indications  of  delight.  What  trained  nurse  could  do 
much  more  ?  " 

Many  persons  have  provided  at  death  for  the  animals 
they  loved,  and  all  should  do  so.  Anton  Seidl,  the 
famous  musical  conductor,  in  his  will  executed  April 
21,  1897,  left  his  magnificent  collection  of  Wagner's 
music  to  the  Richard  Wagner  Museum  of  Weimar, 
Germany,  and  the  income  of  property  at  Middletown, 
N.  Y.,  in  case  of  the  death  of  his  wife,  to  Bertha 
Seiffert,  for  life,  provided  she  cares  for  their  dogs.  If 
the  dogs  outlive  her,  another  is  designated  to  care  for 
them  in  comfort.  The  property  eventually  goes  in 
equal  shares  to  the  relatives  of  himself  and  wife. 
Seidl's  favorite  was  a  St.  Bernard,  Wotan,  named  like 
all  his  dogs  after  the  Nibelungen  heroes.  Mime,  a 
pet  of  Mrs.  Seidl,  was  killed  by  Wotan,  as,  being  al- 
lowed many  privileges,  and  fondled  by  her  master,  the 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   327 

big  dog  seemed  jealous,  lest  he  be  supplanted  in  the 
affections  of  the  musician. 

Mrs.  John  M.  Clay,  who  owns  and  manages  the  Ash- 
land stock  farm  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  that  was  owned  by 
Henry  Clay,  caresses  and  pets  her  animals  who  will 
come  at  her  call,  like  children.  Speaking  of  her  year- 
ling colts,  she  said  sadly,  "  I  have  put  up  those  babies 
to  be  sold,  and  there  is  no  telling  how  they  will  be 
treated;  why,  these  little  things  have  never  had  a  cross 
word."  Every  superannuated  animal  on  her  place  is 
well  cared  for,  and  provided  for  in  her  will  by  fifty 
dollars  annually  for  each  one  for  life. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Coldwell,  of  Richmond,  S.  I.,  left 
a  fund  of  ten  dollars  a  month  for  the  care  of  her  pet 
Newfoundland  which  survives  her.  George  Harwood, 
a  wealthy  farmer  of  Clear  Springs  township,  Indiana, 
bequeathed  sixty  acres  of  land  to  a  man  who  worked 
for  him,  in  consideration  for  which  the  man  was  to 
care  for  a  pet  black  horse  and  steer,  and  at  their  death 
they  are  to  be  buried  near  him  in  a  five-acre  lot,  with  a 
handsome  monument  for  all.  They  were  faithful 
friends  and  he  did  not  forget  them. 

The  Denver  Republican  in  the  spring  of  1896  tells  of 
a  fox  terrier,  a  stray  in  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  which 
being  picked  up  by  a  wealthy  resident  of  that  city, 
Mr.  Davis,  they  became  inseparable  companions.  When 
Mr.  Davis  fell  ill,  the  dog  refused  to  eat  or  sleep,  and 
would  not  be  comforted.  When  his  master  died,  he  left 
$50,000  as  a  legacy  to  the  dog.  The  terrier  soon  after 
became  ill,  and  though  the  best  medical  advice  was  ob- 
tained, it  was  found  that  he  had  consumption  and  was 
taken  by  the  relatives  to  Denver,  Colorado.  A  nurse 


328       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

attended  the  devoted  creature  daily,  but  care  could  not 
save  him.  It  is  a  pity  that  the  money  cannot  be  used 
for  a  home  for  animals. 

The  will  of  Sarah  E.  Gardner,  a  niece  of  Commodore 
Perry,  was  probated  at  Newport,  R.  L,  May  28,  1900, 
giving  her  property,  $30,000  or  more,  to  the  Rhode 
Island  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Ani- 
mals. In  1842  her  mother  died,  and  after  that  time 
for  years  she  lived  as  a  servant  in  various  homes.  For 
the  past  twenty  years  she  lived  alone,  stooped  by  age, 
and  emaciated  from  want  of  proper  nourishment,  it  is 
said.  But  she  saved  her  money  for  a  noble  cause,  quite 
in  contrast  to  some  other  residents  of  Newport. 

The  widow  of  Representative  Amerman  of  Pennsyl- 
vania died  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  June,  1900,  leaving 
$10,000  for  the  care  of  two  horses  and  a  dog.  The 
animals  are  to  be  tenderly  cared  for  when  beyond  the 
age  of  usefulness. 

Mrs.  Ellen  Cheney  Johnson,  late  Superintendent  of 
the  Reformatory  Prison  for  Women  at  Sherborn, 
Mass.,  left  $300  to  Emma  A.  Pond  of  Sherborn,  and 
her  pet  dog  Duchess,  "  in  full  confidence  that  she  will 
provide  a  home  for  her  as  long  as  the  said  dog  may 
live."  Her  horse,  Thomas  Lancaster,  when  the  execu- 
trix shall  deem  best,  "  is  to  be  humanely  killed  and 
decently  buried,  as  it  is  my  wish  that  no  other  person 
may  own  him  who  may  abuse  him  in  his  old  age." 
Mrs.  Johnson  left  to  the  city  of  Boston  $10,000  for  the 
erection  of  a  memorial  drinking  fountain  for  man  and 
beast.  How  much  better  than  a  granite  monument ! 

Mr.  William  C.  Royal,  of  Germantown,  Pa.,  died 
May  31,  1900,  leaving  his  entire  estate,  $50,000,  to  the 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   329 

Humane  Society,  his  wife  having  her  annuity  for  life  of 
$200  a  month.  In  his  will  he  gives  to  his  wife  his 
"horses,  dogs,  and  any  other  animals  I  may  possess; 
but  should  my  wife  be  so  situated  at  any  time  as  to 
make  the  care  of  said  animals  inconvenient  or  burden- 
some, then,  and  in  that  case,  it  is  my  wish  that  upon 
her  request  the  care  and  custody  of  said  animals  shall 
devolve  upon  the  woman's  branch  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  and  I 
bespeak  from  my  said  wife  and  from  the  said  society 
the  same  kind  treatment  for  said  animals  as  they  have 
received  from  myself.  They  have  been  my  faithful  serv- 
ants and  amply  repaid  by  their  companionship  and  af- 
fection all  the  attention  that  they  have  received  at  my 
hands,  and  I  desire,  therefore,  to  make  due  provision 
for  their  comfort  and  support  after  I  am  gone.  I  am 
sure  the  society  will  carry  out  my  wishes  in  this  respect." 
The  Journal  of  Zoophily,  June,  1900,  says  : 
"  A  lady  has  lately  died  in  Paris  and  left  her  whole 
fortune  to  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Animals. 
That  organization  seems  to  be  in  luck,  for  it  is  only  a 
short  time  since  it  received  the  legacy  of  Mme.  de 
Chassegros,  amounting  to  something  like  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  We  wish  it  might  be  enabled  thereby 
to  do  something  more  for  the  benefit  of  the  Paris  cab 
horses." 

Miss  Ellen  A.  Griffin,  who  died  April  12,  1901,  in  New 
York  city,  left  $10,000  to  her  housekeeper,  Mrs.  Mc- 
Givin,  for  the  care  of  her  pet  black  and  tan  dog,  Dandy 
Jim,  while  he  lives.  The  dog  lay  at  her  feet  while  she 
was  dying,  and  sincerely  mourned  for  her  when  she 
was  dead.  Mrs.  Joseph  T.  Johnston  of  Victor,  Colo- 


3 30       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

rado,  left  $10,000  to  a  friend  to  care  for  two  water 
spaniels  to  which  she  and  her  husband  had  been  deeply 
attached.  Mr.  McDougal,  the  friend,  is  not  to  marry 
as  long  as  the  dogs  live. 

A  large  picture  hangs  in  my  home  of  "  Chums,"  two 
pets  owned  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  W.  Palmer  of  Natick, 
Mass.,  so  loved  by  them  "  that  no  inducement  to  part 
with  them  would  for  a  moment  be  considered." 

The  pets  are  Don,  a  pure  Scotch  collie,  five  years  old, 
very  affectionate,  and  Titwillow,  a  fine  tiger  cat,  three 
months  younger  than  Don.  Both  are  very  fond  of 
each  other.  Many  steel  engravings  have  been  made  of 
these  two  fine  animals. 

Mrs.  Adah  D.  Campbell  of  Denver,  Colo.,  sends  me 
pictures  of  her  mastiff,  "  Joe,"  and  his  little  kennel  com- 
panion, "  Drummer."  She  has  oil  paintings  of  both 
dogs.  She  writes  me  concerning  these  pets :  "I  was 
never  lonely  with  Joe  for  a  companion.  He  loved  me 
as  I  loved  him  and  understood  every  word,  look  and 
mood  of  mine.  We  had  a  little  game  that  we  called 
bone  or  biscuit.'  If  he  thought  I  was  lonely  or  sad, 
he  would  get  one  or  the  other,  and  toss  it  in  the  air  to 
attract  my  attention.  Then  he  would  want  me  to  look 
everywhere  about  him  for  it,  lift  his  feet,  look  in  his 
mouth,  under  his  collar.  Finally  I'd  say  '  Josie,  where 
is  it?  I  can't  find  it.'  Then  he  would  pitch  it  up, — 
he'd  had  it  under  his  nose  all  the  time — and  throw  it  up 
again.  Sometimes  I'd  hide  it  under  my  dress,  or  in 
my  lap,  and  he  would  hunt  for  it. 

"  I  left  him  at  a  stable  for  a  short  time,  and  the  boy 
taught  him  to  put  his  paws  on  his  shoulders,  so  when 
he  came  home  he  wanted  to  do  so  with  me.  As  he 


i.  BEVERYCK  PUNSTER,  Fox  TERRIER,  a  prize  winner. —  2.  DKTMMER. 
—  3.  GENTLEMAN  JOE,  all  owned  by  Mrs.  A.  I).  Campbell,  Denver, 
Colo. 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   331 

weighed  two  hundred  and  ten  pounds,  and  I  a  hundred 
less,  he  would  almost  push  me  over,  so  I  got  in  the 
habit  of  turning  my  back  to  him.  The  first  thing  I 
knew  his  arms  were  around  my  waist,  and  his  head  on 
my  shoulder.  He  would  walk  all  over  the  house  and 
yard  in  that  manner  and  never  hurt  me,  as  he  supported 
his  weight  on  his  hind  legs.  When  people  called  he 
was  always  friendly,  but  if  they  or  I  moved,  he  was  at 
my  side  in  a  moment. 

"  He  never  considered  that  he  had  to  obey  anyone 
but  me.  When  he  was  a  puppy,  if  Mr.  Campbell  dis- 
pleased him,  he  would  go  to  the  bedroom  closet  and  get 
one  of  his  shoes  and  throw  it  in  the  air  several  times, 
but  never  try  to  injure  it  in  any  way.  The  only  thing 
that  he  ever  destroyed  was  a  weekly  paper  that  we  sel- 
dom read.  If  Mr.  C.  had  offended  him,  he  would  pick 
out  this  paper,  tear  it  into  bits,  and  then  bark  at  my 
husband  as  if  to  tell  him  he  had  '  got  even.' 

"  Every  evening  he  wanted  to  go  for  a  walk,  and  no 
matter  whether  we  spoke  of  the  matter  in  Spanish  or 
English,  he  would  run  for  his  strap. 

"  I  have  a  folding  bed  which  he  liked  to  lie  under  in 
the  summer,  and  upon  it  in  the  winter.  He  would  try 
to  get  it  down  with  his  nose  and  then  call  me  to  come 
and  assist  him.  There  was  nothing  I  had  too  good 
for  him.  He  was  only  a  dog  to  others  but  everything 
to  me.  He  always  slept  in  the  house  at  night,  some- 
times on  the  floor  on  a  bed  of  his  own,  but  usually  on 
the  lounge.  Every  morning  after  I  got  up,  he  had 
to  get  into  my  bed  for  a  while. 

"  For  six  weeks  before  he  died  with  acute  laryngitis 
he  suffered  intensely.  I  gave  him  my  bed,  and  at  the 


332        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

last  the  little  he  could  eat  I  fed  him  with  a  spoon.  The 
last  three  or  four  days  of  his  life  he  was  blind,  and  only 
moved  about  by  the  sound  of  my  voice. 

"  I  had  a  coffin  made  for  him,  wrapped  him  in  the 
blanket  he  had  been  sick  on,  and  put  on  his  collar,  as  he 
could  never  bear  to  be  without  it  when  well.  He  is 
buried  in  the  Dog  Cemetery.  '  He  was  born  a  dog, 
lived  like  a  gentleman,  died  like  a  soldier.' 

"  Little  Drummer  came  to  me  before  he  could  stand 
on  his  hind  legs,  and  had  to  be  fed  from  a  bottle.  The 
first  time  he  saw  Joe,  the  latter  yawned  and  Drummer 
crawled  through  his  mouth,  dear  old  Joe  waiting  pa- 
tiently for  him  to  do  so. 

"  Drummer  is  the  dearest,  sauciest,  crankiest  little 
terrier  you  ever  saw,  but  we  all  love  him.  He  has  al- 
ways slept  in  the  bed  with  me  since  the  first  night.  I 
had  a  nice  box  for  him,  but  he  tumbled  out  the  second 
night,  and  had  to  be  taken  up. 

"  Now  he  is  always  the  first  in  bed,  and  will  crowd 
and  growl  unless  he  gets  all  the  room  he  wants.  He 
can  walk  all  around  on  his  hind  legs  and  do  many  cute 
tricks.  He  is  very  jealous  and  always  hated  the  mas- 
tiff puppies,  while  Joe  thought  the  world  of  them  and 
would  let  all  five  sleep  on  his  side  or  back.  Whenever 
there  was  any  disturbance  Joe  was  there  in  a  moment. 
Several  times  persons  have  tried  to  enter  the  house,  both 
day  and  night,  but  were  always  prevented  by  Joe. 

"  I  refused  a  thousand  dollars  for  Joe,  twice,  before 
he  was  a  year  old,  but  a  million  could  not  have  bought 
him.  The  only  thing  Joe  was  afraid  of  was  thunder. 
Then  he'd  hide  his  head  in  my  lap,  and  if  it  got  too 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   333 

severe,  wanted  to  lie  down  in  a  dark  closet  and  have  me 
sit  by  him,  which  I  always  did." 

Joe  was  a  great  friend  to  Mrs.  Campbell's  Canary 
bird.  When  she  would  take  off  the  bottom  of  the  cage, 
and  place  the  cage  on  the  ground,  Joe  would  lie  with 
his  nose  close  to  it,  while  the  bird  would  pull  his  ears. 
pick  at  his  nose  and  chirp  to  him.  "  Joe  is  dead  a 
year,"  she  writes,  "  but  I  grieve  over  him  and  miss  his 
dear,  sympathetic  face  every  day  of  my  life." 

Baron  Adolph  de  Rothschild  left  by  will  £6,000  to 
the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Animals,  and  a  life 
annuity  of  £100  to  each  of  his  own  horses. 

"  Anna  Louise  Duncan,  an  American,  who  had  lived 
in  Paris  for  twenty  years,  committed  suicide  at  the 
dog  cemetery,  where  six  of  her  pets  had  been  success- 
ively buried,"  says  the  New  York  World,  May  12, 
1900. 

"  Last  week  she  lost  Rob  Roy,  a  great  Newfound- 
land, of  whom  she  was  fonder  than  of  any  of  his  pre- 
decessors. Rob  Roy  was  crushed  by  a  tramcar. 

"  Miss  Duncan  tried  to  survive  the  cruel  grief,  and 
bought  a  new  canine  companion. 

"  Yesterday  she  shot  herself  on  Rob  Roy's  tomb 
after  having  distributed  her  property  among  poor  neigh- 
bors." 

"  George  Kendall,  a  widower,  who  boarded  at  5 
Delancey  street,  New  York  city,  was  found  dead  in  his 
bed  last  night.  He  had  filled  the  crevices  of  the  door 
and  windows  with  paper  and  turned  on  the  gas. 

"On  a  table  near  the  bed  was  found  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  John  Mitthauer,  Old  Homestead,  Ninety- 


334       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

first  street  and  Third  avenue,  New  York  city.  The 
letter  was  dated  January  23,  1899,  and  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  '  If  I  am  found  dead  will  you  please  have  my 
body  taken  to  an  undertaker's  and  have  him  cremate 
my  body  and  blow  my  ashes  to  the  winds  ?  And  oblige 
yours,  George  Kendall.'  There  was  a  postcript  which 
read: 

"  '  I  would  rather  be  with  my  dog  "  Sport "  in  the 
other  world.' 

"  The  dog  mentioned  died  last  September,  and  was 
Kendall's  only  companion  for  a  number  of  years.  After 
the  death  of  the  animal  Kendall  became  despondent  and 
often  said  that  he  would  kill  himself.  He  was  sixty- 
nine  years  of  age." 

The  following  incident  shows  how  the  poor  often 
love  their  dogs,  and  how  unjust  a  tax  is,  when  they 
have  no  other  property : 

"  At  the  Sunbury  Petty  Sessions  yesterday — Mr. 
John  Ashby  in  the  chair — William  G.  Saunders,  a 
laborer,  from  Feltham,  was  summoned  for  keeping  a 
dog  without  a  license. — Defendant :  I'm  guilty,  but  I've 
got  a  license.  I  pawned  my  coat  for  the  dorg;  there's 
the  ticket  for  the  coat.  Why,  not  long  ago  you  fined 
me  ten  bob  for  'aving  the  dorg  without  a  muzzle,  and  I 
went  to  prison  seven  days  for  this  'ere  tyke. — The 
Chairman:  Why  do  you  keep  the  dog  if  you  can't 
afford  it? — Defendant:  'Cos  I  love  the  dog,  and  that's 
more  than  some  of  you  do  on  this  bench.  I  picked  the 
dorg  up  on  the  road  when  it  was  'ungry,  and  I'll  stick 
to  it.  I  love  it,  and  pawned  my  coat  for  it,  and  you  can 
fine  me  £i  or  £2;  it  makes  no  difference. — The  Chair- 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   335 

man :  You  will  have  to  pay  ten  shillings  and  costs  or 
go  to  prison. — Defendant :  Then  I'll  go  to  prison,  for 
I  'ain't  got  the  money,  and  I  love  that  'ere  dog. — And 
Saunders  went  to  jail  for  seven  days." 

"  In  an  effort  to  get  a  dog  out  of  the  way  of  a  trolley 
car,  Helen  Kane,  of  Pottsville,  Pa.,  five-year-old  daugh- 
ter of  Conrad  Kane,  was  instantly  killed  May  25,  1900." 

Jacob  C.  Meinzer,  a  lawyer  of  Brooklyn,  committed 
suicide  July  9,  1900,  three  weeks  after  the  death  of  his 
wife.  He  seldom  spoke  after  she  was  buried,  but  said. 
'  They  can't  keep  us  apart  long."  Both  were  devoted 
to  a  little  fox  terrier  which  was  sent  to  a  kennel  during 
his  wife's  illness,  and  brought  home  after  her  death. 
The  man  was  seen  at  his  office  holding  the  dog  in  his 
arms  so  tightly  that  it  moaned  with  pain,  and  he,  him- 
self, was  sobbing  audibly.  Later  his  body  was  found  in 
the  woods  at  Williamsburg.  It  is  thought  that  he 
killed  the  dog  and  buried  it  before  killing  himself. 
The  couple  had  no  children,  and  gave  a  wealth  of  affec- 
tion to  each  other  and  to  their  dumb  companion. 

Clara  Thompson,  who  lives  near  Highland  county, 
Maryland,  risked  her  life  May  20,  1900,  to  save  her 
pet  dog  which  had  fallen  into  a  well,  fifty-five  feet  deep. 
Two  buckets  were  in  the  well,  hung  to  a  chain  passing 
over  a  wheel.  A  ladder  was  attached  to  one  end  of  the 
chain  in  place  of  the  bucket  and  she  was  lowered,  and 
clasped  her  dog.  As  she  was  being  raised  by  her 
parents  the  frame  holding  the  chain  broke,  and  she  was 
plunged  into  the  water.  The  ladder,  however,  was  just 
long  enough  to  keep  her  head  above  water.  She  re- 
mained an  hour  and  a  half  in  this  position  before  she 
was  rescued.  A  man  was  lowered  into  the  well,  who 


336       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

put  a  rope  around  her,  and  she  and  her  dog  were  saved. 
She  fainted  when  she  reached  the  surface. 

An  exchange  tells  of  a  fox  terrier  at  the  wedding  of 
Miss  Adele  Horwitz  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  to  Mr.  Francis 
B.  Stevens,  Jr.,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  at  the  home  of  the 
bride.  There  was  neither  maid  of  honor  nor  brides- 
maid, but  the  little  fox  terrier  with  orange  blossoms 
about  his  neck  tied  with  white  ribbons,  entered  with 
the  bride,  and  after  viewing  the  guests  sat  down  upon 
the  floor  at  her  feet  during  the  ceremony. 

At  my  request,  Mrs.  Stevens  writes  me,  Feb.  6,  1901, 
concerning  her  dog :  "  The  dear  little  fellow  passed  on 
this  October,  leaving  my  mother  and  myself  heart- 
broken. How  we  loved  him — Ihis  brilliancy,  his  keen 
intelligence,  his  delightful  and  refreshing  love  for  sport 
and  fun — for  he  was  a  sportsman  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.  Dear  Jack !  '  Taking  him  all  in  all,  I  ne'er 
shall  look  upon  his  like  again.'  To  have  had  Jack, 
makes  the  possession  of  all  other  dogs  so  '  stale,  flat, 
and  unprofitable.'  He  was  a  gentleman!  And  many 
long  pages  could  I  fill  in  his  praises. 

"  The  way  he  behaved  on  my  wedding  day,  was  just 
in  keeping  with  everything  he  did.  On  that  memorable 
morn,  he  seemed  to  know  better  than  I  could  tell  him, 
just  what  was  going  to  happen — our  future  separation, 
as  I  was  not  allowed  to  take  him  with  me,  he  having 
been  originally  given  to  my  father  as  an  excellent  ratter ! 
and  afterwards  experienced  the  fate  of  Murat — in  being 
raised  from  the  stable  to  the  throne. 

"  But  previous  to  our  sad  parting  we  had  passed  eight 
years  as  closest  comrades  and  truest  friends.  He  was 
my  partner  going  the  rounds  with  me  and  doing  all  that 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   337 

I  did,  excepting  only  the  theatres  and  church,  for  which 
he  seemed  to  have  no  fondness.  Wherever  he  went  he 
was  always  loved  first,  and  generally  famous,  before 
taking  his  departure. 

"  He  had  battled  with  the  waves  at  Atlantic  City, 
Narragansett  and  Bar  Harbor,  and  many  times  had  en- 
joyed driving  along  Bellevue  avenue  at  Newport  or 
down  Fifth  avenue  when  in  New  York.  I  never  saw 
the  dog  that  Jack  considered  too  big  to  do  battle  with ! 

"  And  so,  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  the  day  of  our  sep- 
aration we  were  mutually  grief-stricken.  He  remained 
with  me  every  instant  of  the  time,  before  the  ceremony 
— which  was  unusual,  as  there  were  all  the  guests  ar- 
riving and  the  front  door  being  opened  every  minute — 
which  heretofore  had  always  demanded  Jack's  personal 
attention;  but  on  this  occasion  he  sat  on  the  chair  next 
to  my  toilet,  just  watching  me,  and  when  finally  the  time 
came  to  go  down  stairs,  I  exclaimed,  '  Jackie,  you  shall 
be  my  best  man/  and  quickly  tied  a  big  bow  of  white 
ribbon  and  orange  blossoms  on  his  collar — and  so,  we 
went,  he  pressed  close  by  my  white  panne  velvet  skirt, 
and  my  father  on  the  other  side — down  the  long  stair- 
way, through  the  hall,  into  the  drawing  room,  up  to  the 
flower-made  chancel,  the  aisle  made  by  satin  ribbons 
which  held  back  the  guests.  Jack  never  noticed  a  soul 
(all  very  contrary  to  his  usual  inquisitiveness  of  sniffing 
every  visitor  who  ever  came  to  the  house).  There  he 
stood,  by  me,  he  facing  the  people  and  eyeing  them 
sadly,  never  leaving  me,  even  at  the  breakfast  which 
followed;  and  when  I  finally  left  the  house,  he  had  to 
be  held,  and  as  I  drove  off,  I  could  hear  him  howling, 
above  all  the  music  and  laughter.  Poor  little  Jackie! 


338       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Every  night  since  my  departure,  he  took  mamma's 
letter  to  me  up  to  the  box — the  nearest  he  could  come 
to  writing  himself." 

Colonel  H.  C.  Page,  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
Bayonne  (N.  J.)  Herald,  gives  in  his  paper  of  January 
21,  1899,  this  most  interesting  account  of  a  pet  dog, 
Philo :  "  '  Dear  little  Philo  '  died.  In  the  Christmas 
number  of  the  Bayonne  Herald,  1896,  we  told  the  story 
of  'Dear  Little  Philo,'  a  '  Good  Doggie  Who  Had 
Found  a  Good  Home '  with  the  Herald  family.  We 
said,  after  some  introductory  remarks,  anent  the  loving 
little  creatures  who  made  other  homes  happy : 

"  The  dog  of  whom  we  are  particularly  to  write 
bears  the  name  of  '  Philo,'  which  is  said  to  stand  for 
friend,  and  he  is  a  friend,  indeed.  He  is  called  '  Phil- 
ander '  for  long  and  '  Phi '  for  short,  and  is  a  little 
black-andi-tan,  weighing  about  eight  pounds.  He  has 
bright  eyes,  and  his  intelligent  countenance  lights  up 
with  happiness  when  his  master  or  mistress — one  or 
both — return  to  their  home  after  an  absence.  Then  the 
welcome  he  gives  is  right  royal;  with  an  exuberance 
unsurpassed.  '  Phi,'  as  he  is  familiarly  called,  is,  of 
course,  the  pet  of  the  house,  and  to  tell  of  all  his 
cunning  ways  would  require  more  space  than  the 
Bayonne  Herald  has  to  spare  in  its  Christmas  number. 

"  He  was  found  in  an  '  Orphan  Asylum,'  so  to  speak; 
in  other  words,  a  dog-and-bird  store,  on  West  Twenty- 
third  street,  in  the  great  metropolis.  Where  he  came 
from,  no  one  knows.  With  a  number  of  others  of  his 
species,  he  was  ensconced  in  a  rough  '  cage '  of  wood, 
and  when  he  was  let  out  for  inspection,  he  sought 
refuge  in  the  visitor's  lap  and  nestled  there.  Very  evi- 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   339 

dently  he  desired  to  be  adopted,  and  he  was,  for  and 
in  consideration  of  a  ten-dollar  note.  When  people  in 
pursuit  of  '  pups '  entered  the  '  orphan  asylum.'  the 
poor  creatures  set  up  a  barking  and  howling,  all  anxious 
to  get  out.  But  '  Phi '  didn't  make  the  slightest  noise. 
He  looked  yearningly  and  longingly  out  of  his  large, 
liquid  eyes,  which  spoke  more  than  '  bark '  or  '  whine. ' 
He  told,  by  his  manner,  as  much  as  words  could  tell, 
that  he  wanted  to  get  away  into  some  family  where  he 
would  be  kindly  treated,  for  the  poor  creatures  are  often 
roughly  used  in  these  dog-and-bird  stores. 

"  On  his  way  Bayonneward,  the  little  creature  clung 
closely  to  his  captor,  as  if  he  feared  he  might  be  re- 
turned to  his  place  of  imprisonment.  But  he  reached 
his  new  home  in  safety  and  on  entering  the  door  looked 
up  with  such  a  wistful  look  as  he  interrogated  the  ne\v 
master  with  '  Please,  may  I  stay  here  ?  '  by  the  falter- 
ing way  in  which  he  wagged  his  tail.  In  a  trice  he  was 
warmly  welcomed,  and  in  a  few  days,  with  good  food, 
a  bath,  and  the  use  of  a  comb  and  brush,  was  made  to 
look  quite  respectable.  His  coat  was  silky  and  glossy, 
and  his  flesh  was  as  soft  as  a  woman's.  His  little 
heart  was  full  of  affection,  and  his  disposition  that  of  a 
lamb.  He  is  formed  like  a  greyhound,  almost  perfect 
in  symmetry,  but  we  fear  he  may  grow  portly  with  age, 
like  some  of  his  human  friends.  He  loves  to  run  up  the 
Boulevard,  and  stroll  through  the  meadows  and  brush. 
He  is  fond  of  flowers,  and  understands  the  use  of  the 
telephone,  which  he  eyes  curiously,  and  sometimes  barks 
at  vociferously  about  meal  time,  if  his  master  is  late 
to  lunch.  '  Philo  '  is  about  five  years  old,  we  should 
judge,  and  though  he  is  generally  rollicking,  he  can 


34°       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

also  be  sedate  as  a  judge  when  anything  goes  wrong. 
He  has  a  pretty  '  harness  '  and  a  collar,  and  sleeps  in  a 
basket  constructed  as  a  sort  of  '  crib '  for  the  canine 
creation.  He  has  good  treatment  and  repays  everything 
by  the  wealth  of  love  in  his  little  heart. 

"  Dear  little  '  Phi ! '  You  are  the  type  of  many  other 
creatures  of  your  race  whose  companionship  and  fidelity 
endear  them  to  many  hearts  and  homes.  You  linger 
near  the  threshold  when  eventide  comes  to  welcome  the 
master,  whose  gentle  hand  is  sure  to  caress  you,  and 
your  demonstrations  of  delight  gladden  his  heart  as  his 
caresses  do  yours.  With  Bulwer  we  can  say : 

'  Never  yet  the  dog  the  country  fed 
Betrayed  the  kindness  or  forgot  the  bread.' 

"  It  is  said  that  '  spaniels  that  fawn  when  beaten  will 
never  forsake  their  master/  and  the  dog  is  soonest  of 
all  created  beings  to  forgive.  One  of  the  races  of  dumb 
animals  too  often  neglected  or  abused,  of  which  Cowper 
said: 

'  I  would  not  enter  on  my  list  of  friends, 
Though   graced   with   polished   manners   and    fine    sense, 
Yet  wanting  sensibility,  the  man 
Who  needlessly  sets  foot  upon  a  worm.' 

"  And  thus  may  we  go  on  in  life,  '  Phi '  and  I,  and 
all  of  us,  culling  from  the  experiences  of  each  day  the 
flowers  that  decorate  our  pathway  and  enjoy  the  fra- 
grance of  home  and  happiness  as  we  may.  Shadows 
are  for  the  twilight,  but  they  chase  one  another  away 
as  the  fire  glows  in  the  grate  and  we  think  of  God's 
goodness  to  us  and  ours.  So  in  the  twilight  of  life  the 
hours  pass  pleasantly  by.  Adown  the  green  slopes  of 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   341 

the  future  we  glide  toward  the  setting  of  that  sun  which 
will  never  rise  for  us,  except  in  the  glory  of  a  consum- 
mated faith  in  our  dear  Lord  and  Redeemer. 

"  The  '  shadows  of  the  twilight,'  we  regret  to  say, 
have  come  upon  the  little  home  of  which  '  Philo  '  was 
an  inmate.  On  Tuesday,  January  I7th,  1899.  about 
12  o'clock,  noon,  the  little  inoffensive  creature  was  mur- 
dered, as  is  believed,  by  two  pistol  shots  which  were 
heard  on  Fifth  street,  between  Newman  and  Humph- 
reys avenue.  He  struggled  to  reach  his  home,  but  the 
second  shot  finished  him  and  he  laid  down  and  died,  his 
blood  saturating  the  green  sward  over  which  he  played 
many  a  time.  Whoever  the  dastard  is  that  committed 
this  crime,  '  he  should  have  his  reward.'  That  reward 
should  be  the  contempt  of  his  fellow  men,  of  his  family 
and  kindred,  and  punishment  by  the  strong  arm  of  the 
law. 

"  '  Philo  '  was  interred  under  the  protecting  limbs  of 
a  weeping  mulberry,  near  the  home  he  had  made  so 
happy  by  his  gentle  presence,  leaving  an  aching  void  in 
the  hearts  of  those  who  loved  him.  Hail  and  farewell, 
my  little  friend." 

A  letter  received  April  4,  1900,  says:.  "Our  little 
doggie,  we  have  since  learned,  was  not  shot,  but  crushed 
by  a  larger  animal  of  his  race  between  two  huge  jaws. 
The  '  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,' 
Hudson  county,  N.  J.,  took  great  interest  in  the  matter, 
but  the  poor  little  creature  is  no  more.  Yours  in  the 
cause  of  humanity,  H.  C.  Page." 

Mr.  Thomas  T.  Barrett  was  buried  in  Hillside  Ceme- 
tery, Plainfield,  N.  J.,  early  in  June,  1901.  His  collie 
that  he  had  raised  from  a  puppy  disappeared  the  day 


342       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

he  died.  A  week  from  that  time  the  dog  was  found 
in  the  cemetery  four  miles  away,  stretched  at  full  length 
on  the  grave,  dead. 

In  its  issue  of  November  12,  1899,  the  New  York 
Herald  contained  the  following  in  a  dispatch  from 
Greenwich,  Conn. : 

"  It  has  cost  Frank  P.  Marsh,  a  New  Yorker,  resid- 
ing at  Broadway  and  Fifty-second  street,  $1,000  and 
much  trouble  and  anxiety  to  discover  what  and  who 
were  responsible  for  the  death  of  his  pet  St.  Bernard 
dog,  Ponto. 

"  The  man  who  starved  it  to  death  admitted  the  fact 
in  the  Borough  court  here  to-day.  Mr.  Marsh  having 
satisfied  himself  that  he  had  no  neighbor  mean  enough 
to  kill  his  pet,  but  that  it  had  simply  died  of  wilful  neg- 
lect, asked  Judge  Burnes  to  suspend  execution  of  the 
sentence,  which,  in  this  case,  might  have  been  $250  fine 
with  costs  or  one  year  in  jail,  or  both.  The  judge 
heeded  the  request,  for  Mr.  Marsh  said :  '  Two  hearts, 
those  of  my  wife  and  myself,  have  been  broken  over  the 
death  of  Ponto,  and  should  this  young  man  go  to  jail, 
two  more,  those  of  his  mother  and  sister,  would  be 
broken/ 

"  Mr.  Marsh  purchased  the  Wolf  place,  in  King 
street,  in  this  town,  five  years  ago.  He  and  his  wife 
had  no  children;  consequently  they  were  greatly  at- 
tached to  a  large  St.  Bernard  dog,  which  they  named 
Ponto.  They  reared  him  from  a  pup,  and  as  he  was 
very  intelligent  he  became  the  constant  companion  of 
Mr.  Marsh  and  did  many  tricks.  Mr.  Marsh  left  his 
place  last  winter  and  went  to  New  York,  leaving  the 


PONTO,  ST.  BERNARD,  owned  by  Mr.  Frank  P.  Marsh.  New  York 
City.  —  2.  CHAMPION  ALTON  II.,  SMOOTH  ST.  BERNARD,  winner 
of  thirty-two  prizes,  value  $5,000,  owned  by  Mr.  Dudley  K.  Waters, 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 


Devotion  of  Human  Beings  to  Animals   343 

house,  along  with  four  horses,  a  cow  and  Ponto,  in  care 
of  Jesse  M.  Turverey,  an  employee. 

"  Turverey  was  told  to  purchase  a  pound  of  steak  and 
a  quart  of  milk  daily  for  Ponto's  food,  and  other  dain- 
ties occasionally.  The  man  made  the  purchases,  but 
he  appropriated  the  food  to  his  own  use.  Mr.  Marsh 
ran  up  to  his  country  residence  occasionally  during  the 
winter,  and  when  oh  a  visit  on  March  8,  found  that 
Ponto  was  dead.  His  body  had  been  found  in  a  field 
near  the  house  the  previous  day.  It  had  apparently 
been  there  for  some  time.  Mr.  Marsh  found  that  the 
meat  and  milk  for  Ponto  had  been  delivered  right  along, 
even  after  the  dog's  death. 

"  Turverey  ventured  the  opinion  that  some  one  had 
poisoned  the  animal.  Mr.  Marsh  and  his  wife  wept 
over  Ponto's  death,  and  then,  to  ascertain  if  poison  had 
been  administered,  had  an  examination  made.  Not  a 
particle  of  food  was  discovered  in  the  body.  Mr.  Marsh 
could  not  believe  that  his  man  had  starved  Ponto,  so 
he  took  the  dog's  stomach  to  a  specialist,  who  also 
decided  that  it  was  not  poison,  but  lack  of  food,  which 
had  caused  the  dog's  death. 

"  Turverey  soon  left  Mr.  Marsh's  service  and  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Western  New  York.  Mr.  Marsh 
engaged  James  F.  Walsh,  of  Greenwich,  to  bring  a  suit 
against  him,  and  several  letters  were  written  to  Tur- 
verey to  come  on  to  New  York.  He  and  his  mother 
wrote  in  reply,  giving  excuses.  Finally  Mr.  Marsh 
conveyed  to  him  the  intimation  that  he  had  found  a  man 
who  had  poisoned  the  dog,  and  if  he  would  come  on  to 
New  York  his  expenses  would  be  paid.  Turverey  had 


344      ^ur  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

a  friend,  a  woman,  living  in  Glenville,  just  over  the 
Connecticut  line,  and  it  was  believed  that  if  he  came  this 
way  he  could  not  refrain  from  calling  upon  her. 

"  They  guessed  rightly.  He  arrived  at  Mr.  Marsh's 
New  York  office  on  Friday,  and  was  taken  to  a  lawyer's 
office  in  Port  Chester,  where  he  made  an  affidavit  in  a 
supposed  case  against  a  dog  poisoner,  in  which  he  stated 
that  on  the  morning  of  the  dog's  death  he  gave  it  food, 
and  it  was  in  good  health.  Later  Turverey  disap- 
peared, but  Deputy  Sheriff  Fitzroy,  of  Greenwich,  who 
had  been  watching  his  movements  all  day,  went  to  the 
house  of  his  friend,  in  Glenville,  and  found  a  party  in 
progress  in  honor  of  Turverey's  return.  Turverey 
was  taken  into  custody,  and  in  court  admitted  what  he 
had  done." 

A  man  who  would  starve  a  dog  and  use  the  money 
himself,  deserved  the  full  penalty  of  the  law,  and  save 
for  the  kind  heart  of  Mr.  Marsh  and  his  wife,  Turverey 
would  now  be  in  jail  for  his  cruelty. 

John  Doerflinger  of  New  York  city  in  the  winter  of 
1901,  seeing  a  little  dog  on  the  elevated  railroad  track 
climbed  a  pole,  reached  the  dog,  and  put  it  inside  his 
coat.  In  descending  he  fell  and  broke  his  leg  in  three 
places.  Our  Animal  Protective  League,  New  York, 
Mrs.  Myles  Standish,  president,  raised  a  thousand  dol- 
lars as  a  reward  for  his  kind  act,  and  Mr.  Doerflinger 
has  recovered  and  gone  to  a  fruit  farm  in  North  Caro- 
lina, 


CHAPTER  XIV 
Hospitals  for  Dogs 

IN  Pets  and  Animals,  April  15,  1899,  Prof.  John 
Heiss  of  Harvard  University  has  a  very  interest- 
ing description  of  the  Free  Hospital  for  Animals, 
at  52  Piedmont  street,  and  another  at  50  Village  street, 
Boston,  both  under  the  supervision  of  the  Veterinary 
Department  of  the  University.  The  establishment  at 
50  Village  street  is  the  regular  Veterinary  Department 
of  the  University,  and  has  extensive  rooms  for  boarding 
the  animals  under  treatment.  The  charges  are  very 
low.  The  Free  Hospital  is  intended  for  the  treatment 
of  animals  whose  owners  or  friends  cannot  afford  to 
pay.  "  The  graduate  students  of  the  Village  street 
institution,"  says  Mr.  Heiss,  "  treat  all  the  animals  of 
the  poor  free  of  charge.  To  be  sure,  it  serves  a  double 
purpose.  It  is  not  only  a  boon  to  the  people,  but  gives 
the  students  practice.  ...  In  the  Free  Hospital 
there  is  no  room  for  boarding  animals  under  treatment 
except  a  few  extraordinary  cases.  From  thirty  to  forty 
cases  are  brought  in  every  day,  but  they  are  treated 
and  kept  at  home,  only  visiting  the  hospital  as  often  as 
necessary." 

Concerning  the  Village  Street  Hospital,  Mr.  Heiss 
says :  "  The  cleanly  cement  floors,  the  shining,  red- 
painted  walls,  and  the  fragrant  wheat  straw  in  the 

345 


346        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

animals '  beds,  evidenced  the  careful  attention  given 
these  brute  patients." 

The  first  floor  is  occupied  by  horses,  each  in  a  com- 
fortable stall.  In  one  ward  of  the  second  floor  are  the 
cats.  "  In  another  ward  on  the  same  floor  were  a  part 
of  the  dogs.  In  contrast  to  the  death-like  stillness  of 
the  cat  ward,  here  was  a  small  pandemonium.  First 
there  were  two  beautiful  brown  and  white  pointers  that 
were  not  a  bit  sick,  and  were  '  just  boarding,'  and  they 
were  sure  they  didn't  like  the  place  and  wanted  to  get 
out.  So  they  barked,  stretched  their  tethers,  stood  up 
and  wagged  as  if  they  would  follow  you  to  the  end  of 
the  world  if  they  had  the  shadow  of  a  chance.  Next  to 
them  squatted  a  huge  St.  Bernard  of  high  degree,  smil- 
ing on  them  sadly,  as  if  saying,  '  Enjoy  yourselves, 
boys,  I'd  be  with  you  if  I  hadn't  a  boil  on  my  neck.' 
Next  to  him  were  two  pugs,  a  setter,  a  bull-terrier,  and 
a  few  others,  all  dogs  of  neither  low  nor  specially  high 
degree,  and  having  no  serious  ailments. 

"  The  main  ward  for  dogs  is  on  the  third  floor,  where 
most  of  the  dogs  of  gentle  blood  are  kept.  Here  they 
are  not  tied  at  intervals  along  the  wall,  but  each  has  its 
own  apartment.  In  the  first  kennel  lived  a  very  high- 
priced  English  bull-dog,  as  ugly  as  King  Lud.  He, 
like  most  of  the  dogs  on  this  floor,  was  only  board- 
ing. 

"  It  would  take  hours  to  tell  all  the  interesting  things 
about  the  dachshund  and  the  three  wee,  woolly  King 
Charles  Spaniels,  and  the  greyhound,  and  the  puppy 
coach-dog  covered  with  splashes  of  black,  just  a  little 
too  large  to  be  called  pepper  and  salt,  and  several  stray 
dogs  that  were  brought  in.  Then  in  the  row  of  kennels 


Hospitals  for  Dogs  347 

on  the  other  side  were  various  kinds  of  dogs.  There 
was  one  dog  that  especially  attracted  my  attention. 
This  was  a  large  handsome  collie  running  loose,  be- 
cause he  could  not  have  been  tied  without  hurting  his 
sore  neck.  He  was  so  gentle  that  he  never  got  into 
trouble  when  he  called  on  his  long  list  of  friends.  He 
was  brought  in  with  a  wide  cut  on  his  neck,  as  if  some 
one  had  tried  to  cut  his  throat.  Indeed,  the  cut  was  so 
deep  that  the  larynx  was  actually  exposed  to  view. 
The  doctors  examined  him  carefully  and  decided  that  he 
had  been  cut.  But  one  of  the  doctors,  while  patting  his 
head,  accidentally  felt  something  like  a  sting  under  the 
hair,  and,  on  searching,  found  a  strong  rubber  elastic, 
which,  it  was  afterward  learned,  had  been  slipped  over 
the  dog's  head  by  a  little  girl,  and  had  gradually  worn 
through  the  skin  and  flesh.  This  hospital  is  a  Samari- 
tan refuge  for  suffering  animals  because  of  many  deeds 
of  humane  charity  for  stray  cats  and  dogs,  which  are 
soon  restored  to  health  or  relieved  of  their  forlorn  con- 
dition, and  then  started  out  in  the  world  again. 

"  I  turned  away  from  this  model  animal  charity  and 
the  courteous  physicians  in  charge  asking  myself,  What 
greater  satisfaction  could  any  man  or  woman  well  have 
or  desire  than  to  feel  that  through  him  or  her  the  condi- 
tion of  some  suffering  brute  creature  had  been  allevi- 
ated. When  one  thinks  of  the  many  pleasant  and 
profitable  hours  these  patient  and  faithful  dumb  serv- 
ants bring  man,  does  it  not  seem  but  a  just  return  for 
such  services  that  every  city  and  town  should  provide 
free  shelter  and  care  for  those  forlorn  outcasts  and 
sick  animals  which  are  to  be  found  in  every  community  ? 
I  am  told  that  this  work  of  Harvard  University  has  not 


348       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

been  paralleled  by  any  other  college  in  this  country.  In 
Berlin,  Germany,  a  similar  work  is  carried  on  at  the 
Royal  Veterinary  Academy — the  most  perfectly  ap- 
pointed institute  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Here  ten 
thousand  suffering  animals  are  treated  yearly,  and  a 
large  number  of  these  are  charity  patients.  This  hos- 
pital maintains  a  large  corps  of  physicians  and  trained 
nurses.  The  patients  are  mostly  dogs  injured  while 
pulling  the  tradesmen's  carts." 

Any  person  can  take  a  dog  to  the  hospital  where  it 
will  be  treated  at  a  cost  of  less  than  eight  cents  a  day. 
There  are  other  Dog  Hospitals  in  Boston,  and  in  sev- 
eral cities  in  the  United  States. 

A  National  Animals'  Hospital  is  to  be  built  in  Eng- 
land, and  funds  are  being  raised  for  it  by  "  Our  Dumb 
Friends'  League,"  164  Buckingham  Palace  Road,  Lon- 
don. The  objects  of  the  hospital  are : 

1.  To  provide  veterinary  advice  and  nursing  for 
animals  whose  owners  cannot  afford  to  pay  for  them. 

2.  To  provide  veterinary  advice  and  nursing  for 
animals  brought  in  injured  from  the  street. 

3.  To  provide  nursing   (upon  payment)    for  ani- 
mals whose  owners  can  afford  to  pay,  but  have  not  the 
skill,  accommodation  or  appliances  necessary  for  the 
occasion. 

4.  To  despatch  proper  ambulances  to  bring  in  in- 
jured animals  from  the  streets. 

"  Our  Dumb  Friends'  League,"  which  has  a  very  suc- 
cessful Children's  Branch,  not  only  encourages  kindness 
to  animals,  but  gives  money  to  various  societies,  Home 
of  Rest  for  Horses  at  Acton,  Metropolitan  Drinking 
Fountain  and  Cattle  Trough  Association  which  has 


Hospitals  for  Dogs  349 

712  drinking-  fountains,  and  762  troughs,  and  expends 
$40,000  yearly,  gives  to  homes  for  dogs  and  cats,  gives 
rewards  for  humane  acts,  helps  to  find  employment  for 
persons  who  have  lost  places  by  refusing  to  be  in- 
humane, and  tries  to  awaken  the  public  against  asphalt 
pavements,  which  being  slippery  for  horses  cause  much 
suffering,  and  urges  a  supply  of  sand  upon  the  roads. 
The  President,  Mrs.  George  R.  Mathew,  promises  at  her 
death  to  leave  $5,000  to  the  Home  of  Rest  for  Horses, 
and  while  she  lives,  the  League  may  use  a  stall  for  the 
horse  of  any  poor  person,  free  of  charge. 

Tickets  are  also  provided  for  the  poor,  that  their  ani- 
mals may  be  attended  to  at  "  The  Animals'  Institute," 
without  pay. 

One  of  the  Committee,  Rev.  L.  S.  Lewis,  and  prob- 
ably others,  believe  with  John  Wesley,  Martin  Luther, 
and  many  more,  that  there  is  a  future  life  for  animals, 
as  for  man.  He  says  in  The  Animals'  Friend,  "  Can 
you  believe  that  a  poor  creature  whose  whole  life 
has  been  made  a  misery  here  through  no  fault  of  its 
own  will  have  no  compensation  hereafter?  Can  you 
believe  this,  and  continue  in  the  world?  If  this  were 
true,  all  hope,  all  light  would  forever  have  gone  out  of 
this  life. 

"  Can  you  believe  that  so  much  virtue,  the  virtue  of 
holy,  meek  endurance,  such  pathetic  forgiveness,  such 
absolute  devotion,  will  ever  die?  The  suffering  is  not 
worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  that  shall  be  re- 
vealed. God  is  love. 

"  There  are  things  which  we  believe,  but  which  we 
cannot  prove  to  others.  But  to  us  they  are  burning 
realities.  To  me  as  a  child,  as  I  looked  at  a  dog  that  I 


350       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

loved,  came  a  revelation  of  its  future  life.    The  light 
that  came  has  never  paled.     I  have  lived  in  it. 

"  '  Eternal  form  shall  still  divide, 
Eternal  soul  from  all  beside.' 

"  '  And  I  shall  know  him  when  we  meet.' ' 

The  Journal  of  Zoophily  says : 

"  It  is  proposed  to  build  in  London  a  large  animals' 
hospital  in  memory  of  Jack,  '  the  Judges'  dog.'  The 
objects  are  to  carry  out  the  humane  treatment  of  domes- 
ticated animals,  the  study  of  comparative  pathology 
without  vivisection,  and  the  alleviation  of  pain  and  suf- 
fering in  the  lower  animals.  Operations  are  to  be  con- 
ducted under  chloroform,  and  there  is  to  be  an  anaes- 
thetic chamber  for  the  painless  destruction  of  aged  and 
incurably  diseased  animals.  Subscribers  are  to  receive 
tickets  for  distribution  among  the  poor,  whose  animals 
will  have  treatment  and  medicine  gratis,  on  the  owners 
producing  their  tickets  at  the  institution." 

There  is  a  hospital  for  dogs  in  Paris  called  Hos- 
pital Barat,  at  No.  9  Rue  de  1'Etoile,  an  account  of 
which  is  given  in  the  New  York  Herald,  December  n, 
1898: 

"  The  hospital  has  been  established  ever  since  1815," 
said  the  proprietor,  "  and  was  founded  by  my  father, 
M.  H.  Barat.  I  personally  have  had  the  care  of  it  for 
the  last  twenty  years." 

There  are  twenty  kennels  in  a  clean,  well  lighted  and 
well  ventilated  room.  Each  kennel  is  one  meter  high 
and  ninety  centimeters  wide,  made  of  oak  covered  with 
enamel,  and  built  on  a  slight  incline,  raised  thirty  centi- 
meters above  the  cemented  floor,  so  as  to  allow  air  to 


Hospitals  for  Dogs  351 

circulate  underneath.  The  temperature  is  eighteen  de- 
grees centigrade.  Each  dog  has  a  straw  bed. 

Upstairs  is  the  convalescent  ward,  or  winter  garden, 
for  the  dogs.  The  room  is  bright  and  cheerful  with 
here  and  there  a  rug  for  the  dogs.  Adjoining  this  room 
is  a  large  bath-room,  the  floor  inlaid  with  tiles,  with 
large  zinc  bath  tub.  There  is  a  reception  room  for 
dog  owners,  and  a  consulting  room.  The  hospital  is 
regularly  visited  by  the  sanitary  inspectors  of  the  Pre- 
fecture of  Police. 

Mr.  Barat  said  that  pet  dogs  should  have  usually 
food  composed  of  two-thirds  bread  and  one-third  meat, 
and  all  the  vegetables  they  wish.  More  meat  could  be 
given  if  they  exercised  freely.  They  should  be  bathed 
only  at  reasonably  long  intervals,  and  not  exposed  to 
the  air  until  thoroughly  dried,  but  cleaned  daily  with 
comb  and  brush.  A  daily  bath  is  ruinous,  as  a  rule,  and 
the  dog  sooner  or  later  contracts  some  disease.  They 
should  have  a  short  run  three  times  a  day,  at  least,  and 
a  ball  to  play  with  in  the  house  for  exercise. 

"  Dogs  are  exposed  to  terrible  dangers  while  travel- 
ing to  and  from  Paris  on  the  railways,"  said  Mr.  Barat. 
"  The  kennels  are  simply  horrible.  The  wind  sweeps 
through  them  from  both  ends,  and  the  dog  contracts 
weakness  from  which  perhaps  he  never  \vholly  re- 
covers. I  should  recommend  ventilation  from  above, 
and  not  from  below.  Moreover,  the  railway  companies 
should  provide  a  compartment  for  passengers  traveling 
with  their  dogs." 

Mr.  Barat  said  he  knew  a  dog  that  lived  to  be  twenty- 
four  years  old,  and  he  was  doctoring  a  little  terrier 
nineteen  years  old. 


352       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

There  is  a  dog  hospital  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  conducted 
by  Dr.  W.  C.  Fair,  the  skillful  veterinary  surgeon  of 
the  Cleveland  Humane  Society,  to  which  many  dogs 
are  carried,  and  another  by  Dr.  William  F.  Staniforth, 
which  has  accommodation  for  about  one  hundred  dogs. 
His  ambulance  goes  about  the  city,  at  call,  for  sick  or 
wounded  dogs.  Dr.  Staniforth  bought  some  land  for  a 
Dog  Cemetery,  which  is  coming  to  be  the  custom,  both 
in  this  country  and  abroad,  as  it  is  but  natural  that  those 
who  love  their  pets  wish  to  give  them  proper  burial. 
As  the  land  purchased  was  within  the  city  limits,  ad- 
jacent owners  objected,  and  much  to  the  discredit  of 
some  of  the  city  officials,  several  pet  dogs  whose  coffins 
and  graves  had  been  paid  for  by  their  owners,  were 
dug  up  and  carried  in  garbage  wagons  to  the  works  of 
the  Newburg  Reduction  Company.  Almost  all  promi- 
nent veterinarians  provide  accommodations  for  the  sick 
animals  under  their  care. 

An  Indian  Hospital,  the  Bai  Sakarbai  Dinshaw  Petit 
Hospital  for  Animals,  is  thus  described  in  Pets  and 
Animals  for  July- August,  1899 :  "  The  hospital  house 
is  situated  near  the  government  house  at  Parel,  Bombay. 
It  was  founded  in  1883  by  Sir  Dinshaw  M.  Petit,  Bart., 
a  Parsee  mill  owner,  and  was  formally  opened  in  1884 
by  Lord  Dufferin.  The  hospital  occupies  an  area  of 
40,000  square  yards  of  ground,  and  there  are  about 
forty  buildings,  large  and  small  on  the  premises.  The 
entrance  gateway  and  the  large  fountain  in  the  center 
are  excellent  examples  of  Indian  architecture.  The  na- 
tive cotton  and  grain  merchants  and  mill  owners  of 
Bombay  have  organized  a  system  of  voluntary  taxation 
upon  the  import  and  export  of  grain  and  seeds,  and  on 


Hospitals  for  Dogs  353 

the  sale  of  cotton  to  the  local  spinning  and  weaving 
mills,  by  which  the  sum  of  40,000  rupees  a  year  is  col- 
lected for  the  maintenance  of  the  institution.  There  is 
also  a  large  endowment,  the  interest  of  which  is  devoted 
to  the  current  expenses  of  the  hospital.  There  are  five 
cattle  wards,  two  horse  wards,  one  dog  ward,  a  consul- 
tation ward,  a  dispensary,  post-mortem  and  dissecting 
room,  a  chemical  laboratory,  a  patho-bacteriological 
laboratory,  and  a  veterinary  college  is  connected  with 
the  hospital. 

"  The  college  is  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the 
government.  At  the  hospital  there  is  accommodation 
for  200  head  of  cattle,  60  horses,  and  20  dogs. 

'  The  hospital  is  unique  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and 
animals  belonging  to  poor  owners  of  the  public  carts 
and  conveyances  plying  for  hire  are  treated  free  of 
charge.  A  nominal  fee  is  charged  for  treating  the  in- 
patients.  The  splendid  manner  in  which  the  whole 
hospital  is  arranged  and  run  is  an  object  lesson  to 
western  countries." 

The  Humane  Alliance  for  April,  1899,  had  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  In  India,  the  Hindoos  have  established  homes  or 
asylums  for  aged  and  infirm  beasts  and  birds,  says  the 
New  York  Press.  One  of  these,  near  the  Sodepur  sta- 
tion, and  about  ten  miles  from  Calcutta,  is  under  the 
control  of  a  manager,  with  a  staff  of  eighty  servants  and 
an  experienced  veterinary  surgeon.  In  this  place  at 
present  there  are  979  animal  paupers — 129  bulls,  307 
cows,  171  calves,  72  horses,  13  water  buffaloes,  69 
sheep,  15  goats,  141  pigeons,  44  cocks  and  hens,  4 
cats,  3  monkeys  and  5  dogs.  The  asylum  is  described  as 


354      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

being  systematically  and  mercifully  managed.  The 
cows  have  especially  a  good  time  of  it,  inasmuch  as,  on 
festal  occasions,  natives  go  from  far  and  near  to  decor- 
ate and  worship  them. 

"  One  of  the  established  sights  of  the  city  of  Bom- 
bay is  the  Pinjrapole,  a  spot  whither  worn-out  or  dis- 
eased creatures  are  sent  by  benevolent  Hindoo  citizens, 
and  are  maintained,  until  they  become  restored  to  health 
or  die,  out  of  a  charitable  fund." 


CHAPTER  XV 
Cemeteries  for  Dogs 

MRS.  CAROLINE  EARLE  WHITE  of  Phila- 
delphia writes  in  the  Journal  of  Zoophily, 
June,  1899,  on  Cemeteries  for  Dogs: 
''  The  same  thought  seems  to  have  struck  some  of  the 
inhabitants  of  both  hemispheres  at  the  same  time,  and 
had  its  result  in  the  plan  of  a  setting  apart  of  a  cemetery 
for  pet  animals.  On  this  side  of  the  ocean  the  project 
was  originated  in  New  York  State,  and  an  association 
has  been  formed  at  Troy,  having  in  view  the  establish- 
ment of  a  burying-place  to  be  used  exclusively  for  pet 
animals  and  birds.  The  association  is  known  as  the 
Dellwood  National  Cemetery,  the  president  of  which, 
a  resident  of  Troy,  has  been  identified  with  the  design- 
ing of  the  landscape  features  of  a  large  number  of 
cemeteries.  A  company  has  been  formed  with  $200,000 
as  a  capital  stock,  and  of  this  $80,000  has  already  been 
subscribed,  mostly  by  New  Yorkers,  and  no  acres  of 
land  have  been  purchased  on  a  beautiful  slope  near 
Coxsackie  Station  on  the  Hudson.  The  project  first 
suggested  itself  to  Mr.  Lane,  President  of  the  Inter- 
national Railway  Equipment  Company,  from  his  com- 
munication with  a  wealthy  New  York  woman  who  had 
just  lost  a  beautiful  dog,  to  which  she  was  greatly  at- 
tached. He  mentioned  it  to  several  others,  and  the 
plan  met  with  instant  favor.  A  meeting  has  been  lately 

355 


356       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

held  in  New  York,  where  a  complete  list  of  the  sub- 
scribers has  been  made  out,  and  everything  seems  to  be 
going  on  swimmingly. 

"  In  the  other  hemisphere  a  similar  project  has  been 
started  in  France.  There  also  a  stock  company  has 
been  formed,  with  a  capital  of  300,000  francs,  shares  of 
which  can  be  bought  for  100  francs  (twenty  dollars). 
A  site  for  the  cemetery  has  been  selected  on  an  island  in 
the  Seine,  made  familiar  by  Eugene  Sue  in  his  novel. 
'  The  Mysteries  of  Paris/  and  bearing  at  present  the 
name  of  The  Isle  of  Ravagers,  but  which  is  to  be 
changed  to  The  Isle  of  Dogs.  The  monthly  paper  at 
Paris  called  '  L'  Ami  des  Chiens  '  has  accepted  the  prop- 
osition eagerly,  and  Monsieur  Harmois,  director  of 
this  paper,  writes  warmly  in  defence  of  it.  He  says,  in 
one  of  his  articles :  '  What  is  there  so  extraordinary 
in  creating  a  cemetery  for  dogs?  The  entire  Parisian 
press  has  spoken  of  it,  and  has  been  unanimous  in  ap- 
plauding it.  Is  not  the  dog  an  animal  that  we  can  exalt 
without  any  reservation?  Is  he  not  worth  as  much  as 
many  men  and  more  than  some  others?  Has  he  not, 
according  to  President  Magnaud,  that  great  superiority 
over  the  human  race  of  possessing  such  remarkable 
constancy  and  sincerity  in  his  affections?  Is  he  not 
capable  of  the  utmost  devotion  ?  '  Then,  after  speaking 
of  the  different  services  rendered  to  man  by  these  ani- 
mals— the  dog  who,  careless  of  danger,  throws  himself 
into  the  waves  to  rescue  a  human  being;  the  one  who, 
guardian  of  a  flock  of  sheep,  if  a  wolf  attacks  them, 
allows  himself  to  be  torn  in  pieces  before  he  will  desert 
them ;  the  one  who  saves  the  traveler  in  the  mountains 
who  falls  senseless  in  the  snow,  overcome  by  cold  and 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  357 

fatigue;  the  one  who  conducts  his  blind  master  through 
the  crowded  city  streets;  the  one  who  follows  his  mas- 
ter's body  to  its  last  resting-place,  and  refuses  to  quit  the 
spot  where  he  is  buried — he  then  adds :  '  The  motto  of 
the  dog,  engraven  on  his  crest,  is,  "  Duty,  Sincerity, 
Devotion,  Fidelity.' ' 

'  There  are  many  reasons  mentioned  besides  senti- 
mental ones  why  there  should  be  such  a  cemetery — the 
health  of  the  city,  which  must  suffer,  it  is  urged,  from 
the  throwing  of  so  many  dead  animals  into  the  Seine; 
the  difficulties  in  families  of  getting  rid  of  their  pets 
that  have  died,  and  their  likelihood  of  being  fined  no 
matter  what  they  do ;  and  the  avoidance  of  the  disagree- 
able sights  which  often  result  from  this  state  of  things." 

Monsieur  Georges  Harmois  says  in  the  European 
edition  of  the  New  York  Herald  that  in  connection  with 
the  Cemetery,  the  plan  is  "  to  found  a  museum  for  por- 
traits of  pet  dogs  and  of  dogs  which  have  saved  human 
life  or  shown  peculiar  devotion  to  their  masters.  Tablets 
can  also  be  erected  to  the  memory  of  dogs  which  have 
shown  extraordinary  intelligence,  etc. 

"  All  this  cannot  but  have  a  good  and  humanizing 
influence  on  society  at  large,  and  children  are  certain 
to  profit  by  the  plan.  Finally,  the  object  of  the  society 
will  embrace  the  propagation  through  the  columns  of 
'  L'Ami  des  Chiens,'  of  kindness  to  dogs  and  animals 
generally. 

"  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  150,000  dogs  in  Paris 
and  its  suburbs.  Assuming  the  average  life  of  a  dog 
to  be  eight  years,  we  have  an  annual  mortality  of  twelve 
per  cent,  or  20,000  dogs.  Now,  suppose  one-sixth  of 
all  that  die  in  Paris  and  its  suburbs  are  buried  in  the 


358       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

proposed  cemetery — this  means  3,300  dogs.  Also,  sup- 
pose that  2,500  dogs'  graves  are  paid  for  (the  rest  being 
buried  in  a  common  or  pauper's  grave). 

"  Let  us  say  that  2,000  dogs  are  buried  at  the  rate 
of  thirty  francs,  then  we  have  a  revenue  at  once  of 
60,000  francs.  And  if,  say,  475  of  the  2,500  dogs  above 
referred  to  are  buried  at  the  rate  of  100  francs,  in  con- 
sideration of  special  concessions,  such  as  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  grave  for  a  certain  number  of  years,  you 
get  47,500  francs.  Suppose  one  per  cent,  of  the  total 
number  of  funerals  is  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  500  francs 
—this  would  represent  12,500  francs. 

"  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  some  profit  would 
arise  from  the  sale  of  monuments,  etc.,  such  as  are  seen 
in  the  London  Dog's  Cemetery,  and  if  we  place  this 
profit  at  20,000  francs,  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  an 
exaggerated  estimate.  All  these  items  make  a  grand 
total  of  140,000  francs  a  year  in  receipts. 

"  No  one  who  has  petted  and  become  attached  to  a 
good  dog  wishes  to  see  his  poor  little  lifeless  body 
thrown  into  a  scavenger's  cart,"  truly  says  M.  Harmois, 
and  yet,  strange  to  say,  some  refined,  Christian  people, 
will  do  this,  and  shut  their  eyes  and  hearts  to  the  piti- 
ful and  revolting  sight. 

The  New  York  Herald,  Sunday,  June  10,  1900,  gives 
several  pictures  of  tombstones  in  the  He  des  Ravageurs 
Cemetery  for  dogs  from  the  "  Monde  Illustre."  "  It  is 
on  the  route  of  the  Madeleine-Gennevilliers  tramway, 
on  an  island  between  the  Communes  of  Clichy  and 
Asnieres.  Here  is  to  be  found  a  memorial  to  the  fa- 
mous Mont  St.  Bernard  Barry,  which  saved  the  lives  of 
forty  travelers,  and  which  the  sculptor,  M.  Henri  Ede- 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  359 

line,  has  represented  in  the  act  of  bringing  a  child  to 
the  Hospice.  Already  there  are  over  four  hundred 
tombs  in  the  cemetery  of  the  He  des  Ravageurs,  and 
among  the  tombs  is  conspicuous  that  of  Pompon,  the 
soldiers'  dog,  raised  in  its  memory  by  the  artillerymen 
of  the  Camp  of  Chalons." 

The  New  York  Evening  Telegram,  May  20,  1900, 
says: 

"If  any  doubt  as  to  the  purity  of  Seine  (Paris) 
water  exists  it  is  easily  dispelled  by  the  fact  that  during 
the  last  year  the  following  objects  were  taken  from 
the  river: 

"  Two  thousand  and  twenty-one  dogs,  977  cats,  647 
rats,  507  fowls  and  ducks,  210  rabbits  and  hares,  25 
sheep,  2  horses,  66  sucking  pigs,  5  pigs,  27  geese,  27 
turkeys,  2  deer,  i  parrot,  609  small  birds,  3  foxes,  150 
pigeons  and  3  hedgehogs." 

There  is  another  cemetery  for  dogs  near  Paris,  where 
thirty  or  more  are  buried,  and  flowers  are  often  put 
upon  their  graves.  Some  owners  have  erected  tomb- 
stones for  their  pets. 

The  New  York  World,  October  30,  1898,  gives  an 
account  of  a  cemetery  for  dogs  in  Hartsdale  near  Tarry- 
town  a  short  distance  from  New  York  city,  where  ani- 
mals are  buried,  some  with  headstones,  or  larger  monu- 
ments. It  is  modeled  after  the  dogs'  cemetery,  in  Lon- 
don. The  prices  are  five  dollars  for  a  single  inter 
ment  of  cat  or  small  dog,  and  eight  dollars  for  a  large 
dog,  or  a  burial  plat  can  be  purchased  for  ten  or  fifteen 
dollars,  where  several  pets  may  be  buried.  The  plan  is 
due  to  a  lover  of  animals,  Mrs.  Emily  Berthell,  247 
West  Twenty-ninth  street,  New  York  city.  Many 


360       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

pugs,  spaniels  and  St.  Bernards  are  already  buried  there. 
One  little  spaniel,  owned  by  Mrs.  E.  B.  Thornton,  360 
West  Fifty-fifth  street,  was  buried  in  a  regular  coffin, 
and  the  owner  who  loved  it  often  visits  the  grave  and 
puts  flowers  upon  it. 

The  New  York  Journal,  July  12,  1900,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  "  Major  "  and  his  burial  at  Harts- 
dale: 

"  '  Major '  the  dog  of  fifty  tricks  is  dead.  He  died 
at  the  New  York  Veterinary  Hospital  mourned  by  a 
host  of  dog  friends  and  especially  by  his  mistress,  Mrs. 
John  T.  Stephens,  a  widow,  of  429  West  23rd  street, 
this  city. 

"  His  death  has  broken  a  brace  of  as  fine  a  pair  of 
spaniels  as  ever  wore  a  blue  ribbon. 

"  But  he  died.  Died  and  was  buried  in  a  gold  collar, 
in  a  rosewood  casket,  satin  lined,  in  the  Hartsdale  Dog 
Cemetery. 

"  A  week  since  his  mistress  saw  that  '  Major '  was 
not  very  well.  He  was  sent  to  the  Veterinary  Hospital, 
where  Dr.  Edward  M.  Leavy  did  all  he  could  to  save 
his  life. 

"  When  it  was  decided  that  '  Major  '  was  dead,  Mrs. 
Stephens  ordered  a  coffin  of  fine  rosewood,  the  dimen- 
sions being  3  feet  long  by  14  inches  broad  and  I  foot 
deep. 

"  It  was  lined  with  white  satin.  On  the  outside  were 
placed  four  silver  handles,  and  an  oval  glass  plate  was 
set  in  the  top  so  that  '  Major  '  could  be  seen  to  the 
last. 

"  '  Major '  was  then  washed,  combed  and  a  gold 
collar  placed  around  his  neck.  Then  he  was  placed  in 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  361 

the  casket,  and  after  lying  in  state  the  casket,  covered 
with  flowers,  was  taken  in  an  ambulance  to  the  Grand 
Central  Station  and  placed  on  the  train  for  Hartsdale. 

"  In  a  well-tended,  level  and  grassy  enclosure  of 
thirty-five  acres,  ninety-three  dogs  and  cats  lie  in  peace 
together  in  graves  laid  out  in  rows  as  in  human  burial 
grounds. 

'  Major '  was  reverently  lowered  into  his  grave 
and  a  marble  slab  ordered  for  him  at  once. 

"  As  the  last  sad  detail  in  the  dog's  funeral  was 
finished  Mrs.  Stephens  turned  to  an  Evening  Journal 
reporter  and  said : 

"  I  am  heartbroken.  I  loved  him  as  much  as  a 
human  being,  and  he  had  more  intelligence  than  a  good 
many  human  beings  and  was  far  more  faithful.  He 
died  of  inflammation  of  the  lungs. 

'  Major  '  was  eleven  years  old  when  he  died  and  we 
had  him  ever  since  he  was  three  weeks  old.  He  was 
valued  at  $1,500  and  knew  fully  fifty  tricks.  He  could 
even  talk  in  a  way;  at  least  I  could  understand  him. 
He  could  also  sing  in  three  languages. 

"  He  has  traveled  all  over  Europe,  the  United  States 
and  Mexico  with  Mr.  Stephens  and  myself.  He  had 
his  seat  at  the  table  beside  me  and  took  his  meals  like 
one  of  the  family.  He  was  very  fond  of  coffee.  Every 
morning  his  coffee  was  brought  up  to  his  separate  bed- 
room by  the  servant,  but  he  would  not  touch  it  until  a 
napkin  was  tied  under  his  chin,  then  he  would  drink  it 
off  and  hold  up  his  mouth  to  be  wiped. 

"  Three  years  ago  he  saved  a  boy  of  ten  from  drown- 
ing near  Atlanta,  Ga.  The  boy's  father  presented 
'  Major '  with  a  handsome  gold  medal.  About  two 


362       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

years  ago  he  saved  two  other  children  from  drowning 
at  Rockaway  Beach. 

"  On  one  of  our  trips  to  Europe  he  cleared  the  ship 
of  rats,  and  the  captain  gave  him  the  freedom  of  the 
ship.  Two  years  ago  my  little  boy  died.  He  and 
'  Major  '  had  been  great  playmates,  and  '  Major  '  was 
heartbroken  and  the  hair  on  his  head  turned  gray,  I 
believe  from  sorrow. 

"  '  Major '  loved  to  hear  the  doxology  sung,  and  I 
sang  it  to  him  as  he  lay  dying.  Poor,  dear  '  Major  '; 
faithful  to  the  last;  how  I  shall  miss  him !  I  can  hardly 
realize  that  he  is  dead.  There  will  never  be  another  dog 
like  him." 

Dr.  H.  H.  Kane,  138  West  34th  street  New  York  city, 
President  of  the  New  York  Road  Drivers'  Association, 
who  loved  his  pet  bull  dog  "  Jack  "  well  enough  to  bury 
him  in  the  grounds  of  his  country  home  at  Cedarhurst, 
L.  L,  with  a  granite  headstone,  and  "  Jack's  "  photo- 
graph under  glass,  imbedded  and  cemented  into  the 
stone,  proposes  to  establish  a  Horse  Haven  and  Little 
City  of  the  Dead  for  old  animals.  A  farm  is  to  be 
secured  where  worn  out  horses  may  live  and  die  in 
happiness,  and  a  cemetery  is  to  be  provided  for  dumb 
animals.  Dr.  Kane  has  given  $1,000  to  it,  and  others 
have  promised  generous  aid. 

The  need  for  such  cemeteries  for  animals  grows 
more  and  more  apparent.  Some  cities  have  laws  which 
make  it  a  misdemeanor  to  bury  any  animal  within  the 
city  limits  or  within  300  feet  of  a  dwelling.  Where 
persons  have  extensive  grounds  it  is  a  comfort  to  bury 
pets  on  one's  own  land,  but  this  is  not  possible  for  the 
majority  of  city  residents.  To  have  them  carried  to 


Photograph!"  from  Elliott  &  Fry,  London. 

Two  VIKWS  OF  DOGS'  CEMETERY,  VICTORIA  GATE,  HYUK  PARK, 
LONDON. 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  363 

garbage  crematories  is  abhorrent  to  all  the  finer  feel- 
ings. Pets  whom  we  love  are  sometimes  buried  in  our 
own  cemetery  lots,  but  this  is  not  generally  permitted. 
There  are  thousands  of  instances  which  show  our  tender 
affection  for  some  devoted  creature. 

"  The  largest  and  best-appointed  animal  cemetery  in 
the  world,"  says  an  Exchange,  "  is  undoubtedly  that 
attached  to  the  Summer  Palace,  Pekin.  Here  repose,  in 
coffins  of  polished  orris-wood  elaborately  carved,  more 
than  a  thousand  dogs,  the  defunct  pets  of  former  Em- 
perors of  China.  The  '  tombstones  '  are  mostly  of 
marble;  but  a  certain  number  are  of  ivory,  lapis-lazuli, 
silver,  and  even  gold.  At  the  sacking  of  the  palace  by 
the  combined  British  and  French  troops  in  1860,  con- 
siderable loot  was  obtained  from  this  unique  burial- 
place." 

"  Coming  nearer  home,  everybody  has  heard  of  the 
'  Dogs'  Cemetery  '  situated  behind  the  keeper's  cottage 
at  Victoria  Gate,  Hyde  Park.  Here  are  interred  some 
two  hundred  dogs  and  eight  cats.  Each  grave  is  be- 
tween two  and  three  feet  in  depth,  and  some  contain  as 
many  as  three  dogs,  each  in  its  separate  little  coffin. 
The  pets  of  all  classes  of  society  are  represented. 

"  The  Duke  of  Cambridge  has  erected  a  headstone  to 
his  '  Poor  little  Prince.'  Not  far  away  is  the  grave  of 
'  Dear  Toppy,'  the  favorite  dog  of  the  late  Reverend 
Lord  Petre.  A  monument  that  always  attracts  the  at- 
tention of  visitors  is  that  erected  by  Miss  Florence  St. 
John.  It  is  of  pure  Carrara  marble,  and  bears  the  fol- 
lowing inscription :  '  Pompey,  the  favorite  dog  of 
Florence  St.  John.  In  life  the  firmest  friend,  the  first  to 
welcome,  foremost  to  defend.  November  loth,  1895.' 


364       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

44  Considerable  sums  are  sometimes  spent  upon  these 
funerals.  For  instance,  a  Pomeranian  belonging  to  a 
titled  lady  living  near  the  park  was  lately  consigned  to 
his  last  resting-place  in  a  coffin  of  polished  oak,  with 
silver  mountings;  and  the  lid,  instead  of  being  screwed 
on,  is  secured  by  two  locks,  one  at  each  end,  the  keys 
being  retained  by  the  disconsolate  owner.  As  a  rule, 
however,  the  cost  of  an  interment  is  between  three  and 
five  pounds." 

A  cemetery  is  attached  to  the  new  home  for  dogs  at 
Hackbridge,  Surrey. 

"  Another  very  interesting  dogs'  cemetery  is  that  at 
Oatlands  Park,  near  Weybridge,  where  are  interred  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  dogs,  once  the  property  of  a  dead- 
and-gone  Duchess  of  York  of  unhappy  memory.  Each 
grave  is  surmounted  by  a  tombstone,  generally  of  the 
plain,  oval-topped  variety,  on  which  is  inscribed  the 
name  and  date  of  death  of  the  deceased  pet.  Sometimes 
a  short  verse  is  added  presumably  the  composition  of  the 
Duchess  herself.  In  this  connection  it  is  curious  to  note 
what  ingenuity  the  solitary,  friendless  lady  has  dis- 
played in  finding  names  for  her  canine  proteges.  For 
instance,  '  Powski,'  '  Cartouche/  '  Randney,'  '  Ramla,' 
'  Fury,'  '  Asa,'  and  '  Palleasse  '  alternate  with  the  more 
conventional 4  Ponto,'  4  Rover,'  '  Dash  '  and  '  Jack.'  One 
of  the  most  ornate  stones  is  erected  to  the  memory  of 
4  Poor  Devil.'  One  wonders  vaguely  what  strange  for- 
gotten canine  tragedy  the  sad  appellation  enshrines.  Over 
one  grave  will  be  noticed  what  may  be  an  exceedingly 
elaborate  monument,  or,  alternatively,  merely  the  dis- 
carded capital  from  some  Ionic  column.  This  marks 
the  last  resting-place  of  '  Faithful  Queenie,'  the  favorite 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  365 

dog  of  Sir  William  Drake,  in  whose  possession  the 
grounds  were  until  a  few  years  ago. 

"  In  March,  1871,  the  Queen  paid  a  special  visit  to 
this  strange  and  nearly-forgotten  cemetery,  and  notic- 
ing that  some  of  the  monuments  were  falling  to  decay, 
gave  instructions  that  they  were  to  be  renovated  at  her 
expense.  This  was,  of  course,  immediately  done. 

"  It  may  have  been  the  sight  of  the  loving  care  ex- 
pended upon  these  dead  pets  by  one  of  Her  Majesty's 
own  immediate  ancestors  which  first  put  it  into  the 
Queen's  mind  to  establish  a  private  dogs'  cemetery  of 
her  own.  Anyhow,  shortly  afterwards  a  plat  of  ground 
at  Osborne  was  set  aside  for  this  purpose,  and  it  now 
contains  the  bodies  of  about  a  dozen  dogs  and  several 
cats.  It  is  not  open  to  the  public,  but  the  writer  was 
shown  over  it  one  day  recently,  when  visiting  Her 
Majesty's  Isle  of  Wight  home  on  another  and  alto- 
gether different  errand.  The  cemetery  is  situated  at  the 
upper  end  of  a  sort  of  chine  overlooking  the  sea.  The 
gravel  paths  are  mostly  bordered  with  box,  and  each 
grave  is  enclosed  with  terra  cotta  tiles.  The  head- 
stones are  of  white  marble — uniform,  plain,  and  each 
about  eighteen  inches  high. 

"  Of  course  the  above  by  no  means  exhausts  the  list 
of  animal  cemeteries,  for,  following  the  example  of 
Royalty,  numerous  great  personages  have  of  late  years 
established  private  burial-grounds  for  their  pets  upon  a 
more  or  less  extended  scale.  At  Strathfieldsaye,  the 
princely  Berkshire  home  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington, 
there  is  a  small  but  very  beautiful  one;  also  another, 
rather  more  pretentious,  at  Chatsworth.  The  one  at 
Blenheim  was  founded  by  the  late  duke,  and  was  at  one 


366       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

time  one  of  the  sights  of  the  place.  Of  late  years,  how- 
ever, it  has  been  suffered  to  fall  into  decay.  Another 
class  of  animal  cemeteries,  of  which  several  exist  scat- 
tered up  and  down  throughout  the  country  are  those 
attached  to  the  great  racing  stables.  Here  repose  in 
peace,  safe  from  the  knacker's  desecrating  knife,  all  that 
remains  of  many  a  once  famous  but  now  forgotten 
'  gee-gee.' 

"  But,  after  all,  the  most  wonderful  animal  cemetery 
in  the  world  is  situated,  not  in  England,  nor  even  in 
far-away  China,  but  at  Luxor,  on  the  Nile.  Here  are  to 
be  seen  tens  of  thousands  of  granite  sarcophagi  and 
marble  mausoleums,  built  to  hold  the  mumified  bodies 
of  millions  of  sacred  cats.  The  common  or  garden 
pussy  was,  of  course,  worshipped  by  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians during  life;  and  after  death  the  defunct  tabbies 
were  invariably  carefully  preserved,  and  laid  to  rest, 
with  impressive  ceremonies,  side  by  side  with  the  mortal 
remains  of  kings,  emperors,  and  warriors  innumerable." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Jenkins  of  Janesville,  Wiscon- 
sin, says  the  Cleveland  World,  March,  1899,  buried 
their  pet  in  an  oak  coffin  costing  fifty  dollars,  with  trim- 
mings as  for  a  person,  his  head  resting  on  a  pillow  as  in 
sleep.  This  casket  was  placed  in  a  suitable  box,  before 
burial. 

A  celebrated  and  beautiful  Yorkshire  terrier,  Little 
Belle,  belonging  to  Miss  Irene  Ackerman,  20  West 
Fifteenth  street,  New  York,  says  the  New  York  Herald, 
March,  1900,  was  buried  in  a  handsome  maple  coffin, 
lined  with  white  satin.  The  silver  plate  bore  one  word, 
Belle.  The  dog  was  taken  to  Nyack,  N.  Y.,  by  Miss 
Ackerman's  mother,  the  widow  of  Col.  J.  G.  Fay,  and 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  367 

placed  in  a  vault.  Belle  had  been  a  household  pet  for 
fifteen  years,  and  lay  in  a  basket  quilted  with  blue  satin, 
and  trimmed  with  lace. 

Miss  Ackerman  owns  several  valuable  dogs,  among 
them  Dick,  an  intelligent  spaniel  that  took  first  prize 
at  the  New  York  dog  show,  and  Jumbo,  first  prize  in 
London,  England. 

Mrs.  Rebecca  J.  Marr  of  Orange  street,  Wilmington, 
Delaware,  says  the  Philadelphia  Record,  had  her  dog 
buried  in  a  handsome  walnut  casket  lined  with  white 
silk  and  satin,  with  its  head  resting  on  a  pillow.  On 
the  silver  plate  on  the  lid  were  the  words,  "  Dottie,  died 
January  27,  aged  thirteen  years."  The  casket  stood  in 
the  parlor,  like  that  of  a  friend,  as  indeed  the  intelligent 
creature  had  always  proved  herself  to  be. 

Mildred  Beresford  Hope,  niece  of  the  Marquis  of 
Salisbury,  left  $500  to  her  brother  to  keep  green  the 
grave  of  her  dog  Quiz,  and  to  a  friend  a  locket  contain- 
ing some  of  his  hair. 

Fanny,  an  intelligent  Newfoundland  dog,  three  and 
one-half  years  old,  died  at  the  New  York  Veterinary 
Hospital,  115  West  Twenty-fifth  street,  of  Bright's  dis- 
ease, in  September,  1899,  and  was  buried  in  a  satin  lined 
coffin  at  the  head  of  which  stood  forget-me-nots  and 
lilies  of  the  valley.  He  died  in  the  arms  of  his  owner, 
Mrs.  M.  Douglas  of  27  East  Twenty- fourth  street.  The 
dog  was  buried  in  the  Animal  Cemetery  at  Hartsdale, 
N.  Y. 

Dot,  a  little  black  and  tan  weighing  seven  pounds, 
who  had  been  the  pet  and  companion  for  twenty-one 
years  of  Mr.  William  V.  Babcock,  who  lives  at  the 
Clarendon  Hotel,  Brooklyn,  was  buried  after  being 


368       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

embalmed,  in  a  rosewood  coffin,  in  the  Hillsdale  ceme- 
tery for  pets  at  Harlem,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Babcock  took 
the  coffin  to  Hillsdale,  dug  the  grave  with  his  own 
hands,  and  will  erect  a  monument  to  Dot's  memory. 
When  Mrs.  Babcock  died  several  years  ago,  Dot  was 
sadly  distressed,  and  refused  food  for  a  long  time.  Mr. 
Babcock  was  for  several  years  connected  with  the  Treas- 
ury Department  at  Washington.  Dot  was  a  gift  from 
his  son  Theodore,  and  Mr.  Babcock  had  made  provision 
in  his  will  for  his  pet.  "  Dot  had  been  all  over  the 
United  States  and  Canada,"  Mr.  Babcock  writes  me, 
"  and  was  a  favorite  in  the  Clarendon  Hotel." 

Donald,  a  pug  dog,  owned  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  W. 
Leach  of  No.  184  Hart  street,  Brooklyn,  was  buried  in 
a  handsome  coffin  with  silver  handles.  His  body  was 
carried  in  a  coach  to  the  Long  Island  Railroad  Station; 
and  thence  to  Lynbrook,  L.  L,  the  country  home  of  the 
owners. 

Dr.  Charles  Burnett  buried  his  pet  St.  Bernard  in  his 
family  plat  in  Monumental  Cemetery  at  South  River, 
a  village  near  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  in  January,  1900. 

The  Journal  of  Zoophily,  February,  1900,  says  of 
Wagner's  dog : 

"  In  none  of  the  accounts  of  Wagner's  funeral  was 
mention  made  of  the  fact  that  the  mausoleum  at  Wahn- 
fried  had  been  used  already.  When  the  composer's 
dog  Russ  was  poisoned  by  some  miscreant,  a  few  years 
since,  his  remains  were  placed  in  the  tomb  destined  to 
receive  the  body  of  his  master.  Wagner  had  carved 
by  the  entrance  to  the  mausoleum  the  effigy  of  his 
favorite  in  an  attitude  of  repose,  and,  underneath  the 
legend,  '  Here  Russ  rests,  and  waits.' ' 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  369 

Matthew  Arnold  was  devoted  to  his  pets.  In  his 
beautiful  poem  on  Geist's  Grave  he  says : 

We  lay  thee  close  within  our  reach, 

Here,  where  the  grass  is  smooth  and  warm, 

Between  the  holly  and  the  beach, 

Where  oft  we  watched  thy  couchant  form, 

Asleep,  yet  lending  half  an  ear 

To  travelers  on  the  Portsmouth  road  ; 
There  build  we  thee,  O  guardian  dear, 

Marked  with  a  stone,  thy  last  abode. 

Gyp,  a  fox  terrier,  belonging  to  Dr.  Charles  Collins, 
in  North  street,  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  says  the  World  for 
December,  1898,  was  buried  in  a  plush-covered,  satin 
lined,  silver  handled  coffin.  The  dog  was  run  over  by 
a  trolley  car  when  following  Mrs.  Collins.  The  body 
was  embalmed  and  buried  temporarily  back  of  their 
home,  but  disinterred  in  the  spring  and  buried  in  the 
family  plat  in  the  cemetery  at  Westboro. 

Moxie,  a  King  Charles  spaniel  belonging  to  Mrs. 
Emma  Parker  of  St.  Louis,  after  fourteen  doctors  had 
examined  him,  died  in  November,  1898,  and  was  buried 
as  tenderly  as  though  he  had  been  a  child.  Several 
friends  attended  the  funeral. 

Trixy,  a  Hamburg  Spitz  dog,  three  years  old,  belong- 
ing to  Mrs.  S.  W.  Whitney  and  her  daughter,  of  Tarry- 
town,  was  buried  in  a  handsome  casket,  under  a  linden 
tree,  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  Hudson  river,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1899.  A  floral  pillow  with  Trixy  on  it,  and  roses 
and  violets  were  laid  on  the  mound.  An  effort  was  made 
by  those  who  loved  him,  to  bury  him  in  Sleepy  Hollow 
Cemetery,  but  this  was  denied  them  by  the  town  author- 
ities. Trixy  was  bought  from  a  German  nobleman,  and 
a  month  after  his  arrival  in  this  country  was  lost,  to  the 


37°       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

great  grief  of  the  family.  Two  weeks  later  he  was 
found  by  detectives,  wandering  in  the  woods  at  Glen- 
ville  near  Tarrytown,  poor  and  desolate. 

Flora,  a  Skye  terrier  belonging  to  Mr.  William 
Ritchie  of  Newkirk  and  Bedford  avenues,  Flatbush,  N. 
Y.,  was  buried  in  February,  1898,  in  a  coffin  covered 
with  white  broadcloth,  with  silver  nails,  and  lined  with 
satin.  Her  silver  collar  worn  from  puppyhood  was 
about  her  neck.  She  had  been  a  pet  for  eighteen  years. 
She  was  buried  under  a  gray  old  oak,  near  the  home 
of  the  Cortelyou  Club  in  Flatbush,  which  Mr.  Ritchie 
of  the  Hoe  Printing  Press  Company,  helped  to  organize. 
A  little  girl  of  four  years  laid  flowers  upon  Flora's 
grave. 

Diana,  a  pet  dog  belonging  to  A.  J.  Chevalier  of  Co- 
lumbus, Oho,  died  from  poison  in  April,  1898,  and  was 
buried  in  a  white  coffin  with  silver  plate.  Being  refused 
burial  in  the  regular  cemeteries,  she  was  buried  secretly, 
lest  the  body  might  be  stolen.  Mr.  Chevalier  and  his 
friends  took  carriages  at  night,  and  at  the  grave  re- 
counted the  fidelity  and  true  nobility  of  their  dumb 
friend. 

A  dog  in  Ohio  has  this  inscription  on  his  tombstone, 
nearly  a  copy  of  the  one  written  by  Byron  for  his 
Newfoundland  dog,  Boatswain,  buried  at  Newstead 
Abbey,  November  18,  1808. 

Here  Lies  the  Body  of  One 
Who  Possessed  Beauty  without  Vanity, 

Courage  without  Insolence, 

And  All  the  Virtues  of  Man, 

Without  His  Vices. 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  371 

This,  if  Inscribed  on  the  Tomb  of  Man, 

Would  be  Fulsome  Flattery, 

But  it  is  a  Just  Tribute  to 

DOG  DICK, 

Who  was  Born  in  Ohio,  Sept.  n,  1885, 
Died  at  Terrace,  June,  1894. 

Fido,  the  little  Skye  terrier  of  Mrs.  Dey,  Matawan, 
N.  J.,  was  buried  in  a  white  plush  lined  coffin,  with 
white  satin  cushions  inside.  She  felt,  and  rightly,  that 
to  throw  her  pet  into  the  ground  without  a  covering, 
would  be  brutal.  A  few  of  Mrs.  Dey's  friends  went 
with  her  to  the  little  grave  in  a  near  field. 

Lassie,  a  beautiful  Scotch  collie,  was  buried  close  to 
the  grave  in  Union  Field  Cemetery,  where  a  month  be- 
fore was  buried  the  friend  who  had  reared  her  from  a 
puppy,  Mrs.  Bertha  Wice,  303  West  i37th  street,  New 
York.  Mrs.  Rose  Levere,  her  daughter,  the  first  woman 
admitted  to  practice  at  the  Bar  in  New  York  county, 
built  a  handsome  mausoleum  for  her  mother. 

"  From  the  day  of  Mrs.  Wice's  death,"  says  the  New 
York  Herald,  April  10,  1900,  "  Lassie  was  a  changed 
dog.  From  a  gentle,  loving  animal,  she  became  morose, 
sullen  and  threatening.  While  Mrs.  Wice's  body  was 
in  the  house  Lassie  kept  watch  beside  the  coffin  and 
would  allow  no  one  to  approach  it  unless  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Levere, 

"  After  Mrs.  Wice's  body  was  taken  away  Lassie  re- 
fused to  eat  and  resented  the  usually  welcome  greetings 
of  her  friends.  Mrs.  Levere  tried  her  best  to  comfort 
her  pet.  She  even  obtained  the  services  of  veterinary 
surgeons,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  Finally  Lassie  became 


372       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

so  weak  that  she  had  to  be  carried  up  and  down  stairs. 
Mrs.  Levere  dearly  loved  the  dog  and  did  all  in  her 
power  to  save  its  life.  Lassie  failed  rapidly,  and  Fri- 
day evening  she  gave  one  last  mournful  look  at  her  mis- 
tress and  died. 

"  Mrs.  Levere  determined  to  give  the  dog  a  fitting 
burial.  In  a  dainty  white  satin  coffin,  trimmed,  inside 
with  tufted  purple  silk,  with  silver  handles  on  the  sides, 
and  a  plate,  with  this  inscription, 

LASSIE,  aged  15  years. 

Died  of  a  broken  heart, 

April  13,  1900, 

the  body  of  faithful  Lassie  was  placed  yesterday,  and, 
drawn  by  two  black  horses,  was  taken  to  the  grave. 
For  the  coffin  alone  Mrs.  Levere  paid  the  sum  of  $200. 

"  '  I  had  considerable  trouble  in  finding  a  burial 
place  for  poor  Lassie,'  Mrs.  Levere  told  me.  '  Several 
places  were  offered  me,  but  none  of  them  was  good 
enough  for  that  dear  creature.  She  was  the  best  dog 
that  ever  lived.  I  found  a  place,  however,  near  where 
poor  mother  rests,  in  a  plat  of  ground  outside  the  ceme- 
tery, where  a  gentleman  had  buried  two  of  his  pet 
dogs.  I  am  building  a  handsome  mausoleum,  to  cost 
$15,000,  in  Union  Field  Cemetery,  where  mother  will 
be  placed,  and,  if  I  can,  I  intend  also  to  remove  poor 
Lassie  to  the  mausoleum  when  it  is  completed/ 

"  Lassie's  funeral  was  held  yesterday.  There  was  a 
little  service,  and  then  the  grave  was  quickly  filled  in, 
and  several  floral  pieces  sent  by  friends,  were  placed 
on  the  mound." 


Cemeteries  for  Dogs  373 

"  A  monument  costing  $200  is  to  be  erected  over  the 
grave  of  Caesar,  a  Great  Dane  belonging  to  Mrs.  T.  B. 
M.  Cardeza,  of  German  town,  which  died  last  week," 
says  the  New  York  World,  June  14,  1900. 

"  Caesar  was  nine  years  old  and  three  feet  tall,  and 
was  a  great  pet  among  the  Cardezas'  large  collection  of 
animals.  The  dog  was  buried  in  a  fine  coffin,  with  real 
silk  lining  and  silver  handles. 

"  On  the  monument  which  is  now  being  constructed 
will  be  inscribed  the  following  '  Erected  to  an  old  and 
faithful  friend.'  " 

"  A  pretty  little  monument,  resembling  a  tree  stump, 
has  been  erected  over  a  little  grave  at  Upper  Sandusky, 
Ohio,"  says  the  Cleveland  Press,  July  24,  1900.  The 
only  inscription  is  the  word  '  Mack,'  carved  deeply  in 
its  base.  The  grave  which  the  memorial  marks  is  kept 
covered  with  flowers. 

"  Mack  was  a  valuable  rat  terrier,  the  property  of 
Warner  Clark.  He  was  a  village  pet,  and  received,  dur- 
ing his  last  hours,  much  attention  from  his  admirers.  A 
funeral  was  held  over  the  dog's  remains,  at  which 
flowers  covered  the  body." 

"  Mrs.  Mary  Alston  was  a  mourner  to-day  in  the 
Ewing  Cemetery  in  Trenton,  N.  J.,"  says  a  correspond- 
ent of  the  Philadelphia  Record.  "  Her  pet  bull  terrier, 
Endymion,  had  died  in  the  morning  as  the  result  of  a 
series  of  deadly  conflicts,  and  she  was  attending  his 
formal  interment.  Endymion  had  always  been  kept  in 
the  house  and  within  the  bounds  of  the  extensive  grounds 
surrounding  the  Alstons'  residence,  and  when,  two  days 
ago,  he  wandered  away  for  a  time,  he  met  such  serious 
receptions  at  the  hands  of  the  more  hardened  canines 


374      OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

that  twelve  hours  after  his  return  to  the  house  he  rolled 
over  on  a  rug  and  breathed  his  last. 

"  Immediately  after  the  dog's  death  an  undertaker 
was  called,  Endymion  was  prepared  for  burial,  and  in 
the  afternoon  the  body  was  consigned  to  the  earth  in 
the  regular  family  plot  of  the  Alstons." 

Zip,  who  has  always  acted  with  Mrs.  Manning,  died 
at  her  home,  211  East  21  ith  street,  New  York  city,  and 
Mrs.  Manning's  father,  a  New  York  sculptor,  will  make 
a  death  mask  in  marble  of  the  dog. 

"  Zip  lay  in  state  in  his  velvet  robe,  surrounded  by 
a  guard  of  two  fox  terriers  and  bull  dog.  A  walnut 
coffin,  highly  polished,  was  made,  and  in  it  the  body 
was  laid.  Floral  pieces  sent  by  the  performers  at  the 
music  hall  surrounded  the  coffin.  The  funeral  started 
from  the  Eleventh  street  house  early  yesterday  after- 
noon, and  later  Zip  was  laid  beside  the  body  of  his 
gifted  parent,  Fly,  at  New  Bergen.  Marking  the  rest- 
ing-place of  the  two  dogs  a  granite  stone  of  respectable 
size  will  be  erectel." 

"  Lily,  the  favorite  dog  of  the  late  Professor  Alex- 
ander Hermann,  was  buried  with  considerable  ceremony 
in  Whitestone,  Long  Island.  The  dog,  which  was 
twelve  years  old,  and  had  been  owned  by  the  magician 
since  she  was  a  puppy,  died  on  Friday.  After  her  death 
Mrs.  Hermann  took  the  body  to  New  York,  and  had  it 
photographed.  She  also  had  a  blue  plush  casket  made 
for  the  animal.  Professor  Leon  Hermann  was  director 
of  the  funeral.  The  dog  was  buried  in  the  grounds 
of  the  Hermann  place.  Its  grave  was  marked  with 
lilies  of  the  valley." 

Mrs.  Frank  Leslie  of  New  York  city  is  devoted  to 


Cemeteries  for  Does  ^"/c 

O  J  /    ^ 

pets,  taking  her  valuable  Yorkshire  terrier,  Beau  Brum- 
mel,  with  her  to  her  editorial  office,  giving  them  every 
comfort,  and  burying  them  at  death  as  she  would  any 
other  true  friend. 

The  New  York  World,  June  2,  1901,  describes  a 
Dog  and  Cat  Hospital  on  West  Fifty-third  street,  and 
an  animal  cemetery  in  Stockport. 

•  .It  is  sometimes  asked,  if  it  is  right  to  thus  love  ani- 
mals? We  should  do  discredit  to  our  own  hearts,  if 
we  did  not  return  the  affection  of  a  poor  dumb  crea- 
ture. Is  it  right  to  spend  money  for  the  burial  of  ani- 
mals that  we  love?  With  equal  propriety  we  might 
ask,  is  it  right  to  spend  money  for  fine  houses,  expensive 
clothes,  and  handsome  carriages?  The  only  question, 
it  seems  to  me,  is  whether,  instead  of  spending  so  much 
for  self,  and  for  the  creatures  we  love,  either  human 
or  speechless,  we  spend  an  equal  portion  for  the  home- 
less child  or  the  homeless  dog,  and  see  to  it  that  others 
fare  as  tenderly  as  our  own.  The  man  who  kicks  a 
homeless  dog  and  pe.ts  his  own,  has  not  true  manhood. 
The  woman  who  turns  a  homeless  dog  or  cat  away  from 
her  door  to  starve  or  freeze,  and  pets  her  own,  is  far 
from  true  womanhood. 

Each  city  or  town,  either  by  individual  gift  or  appro- 
priation, should  have  a  cemetery  for  animals,  as  it  has 
for  persons,  and  sometime  this  will  be  done.  A  nation, 
for  its  own  well-being,  needs  to  encourage  every  hu- 
mane sentiment. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
Homes  for  Animals 

THE    GIFFORD    HOME 


I 


N  a  house  on  Newbury  street,  Boston,  there  is  a 
picture  of  a  very  beautiful  girl  with  blue  eyes 

1111-  r      • 


and  golden  hair.  A  red  scarf  is  thrown  car 
lessly  about  the  shoulders.  It  is  the  face  of  Ellen 
Martha  Marett,  afterwards  Mrs.  Arthur  N.  Gifford. 
of  New  York. 

She  was  the  only  child  of  Philip  Marett,  descended 
from  a  prominent  French  family.  Mr.  Marett,  born 
in  Boston,  September  25,  1792,  married,  soon  after 
becoming  of  age,  a  lovely  girl  of  seventeen,  Martha 
(Bird)  Knapp,  of  Boston,  whose  eldest  sister  married 
Lemuel  Shaw,  one  of  the  great  chief  justices  of  Massa- 
chusetts. .  Mr.  Marett  was  extensively  engaged  in 
European  commerce,  was  president  of  the  Common 
Council  of  Boston,  president  of  the  New  England 
Bank,  library  trustee,  warden  of  King's  Chapel,  and 
noted  for  the  hospitality  of  his  handsome  and  cultured 
home  on  Summer  street.  Mrs.  Marett  shared  his  intel- 
lectual tastes,  and  both  were  devoted  to  their  daughter 
Ellen,  who  inherited  her  mother's  beauty  and  charm  of 
manner. 

"  Mr.  Marett,"  says  Hon.  Simeon  E.  Baldwin,  presi- 
dent of  the  New  Haven  Colony  Historical  Society, 
"  continued  to  the  last  to  maintain  his  interest  in  the 
events  of  the  day  and  in  its  current  literature.  Occa- 

376 


Homes  for  Animals  377 

sionally  he  sent  an  article  to  the  local  newspapers. 
When  a  real  or  fancied  case  of  hydrophobia  induced  the 
city  authorities  to  authorize  the  killing  of  all  dogs 
found  on  the  streets  unmuzzled,  he  wrote  in  this  way 
quite  an  essay  in  their  defence,  urging  the  better  exam- 
ple set  by  London,  where,  he  said,  wandering  dogs 
were  taken  in  charge,  and  sold  at  auction,  the  proceeds 
MOing  to  a  '  Home  for  Lost  and  Starving  Dogs.'  ' 
r  Mr.  Marett  retired  from  business  when  he  was  fifty- 
three,  traveled  abroad  for  a  time  with  his  wife  and 
daughter,  and  then  settled  in  New  Haven,  Conn., 
where  he  died  March  22,  1869,  leaving  $700,000  to 
charities,  with  the  life  use  to  his  wife  and  daughter. 
A  fifth  went  to  the  New  Haven  Hospital,  a  fifth  to 
the  aged  and  infirm  poor,  a  fifth  to  orphan  asylums, 
a  fifth  to  Yale  College,  and  a  fifth  to  buy  books  for 
the  Young  Men's  Institute  and  to  provide  for  a  free 
public  library.  It  was  not  strange  that  his  daughter, 
Ellen,  married  to  Mr.  Gifford  eleven  years  before  her 
father's  death,  should  follow  such  a  noble  example  of 
giving.  A  lover  of  dogs  and  cats,  she  gave  constantly 
to  the  Massachusetts  and  the  New  York  societies  for 
the  prevention  of  cruelty  to  animals,  and  wrote  fre- 
quently for  Our  Dumb  Animals,  published  in  Bos- 
ton by  Mr.  George  T.  Angell.  She  endowed  four  beds 
in  perpetuity  in  as  many  hospitals.  Through  years  of 
ill  health  she  retained  her  cheerfulness  and  her  sweet, 
gentle,  sympathetic  nature. 

Mrs.  Gifford,  with  her  tender  heart  and  eyes  that 
were  open  to  suffering,  had  learned  something  of  the 
misery  of  poor  dumb  animals.  She  knew  how  some 
owners  of  cats  turned  them  into  the  street  to  starve, 


378       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

when  going  away  for  a  summer  vacation,  and  how 
many  who  called  themselves  by  the  sacred  name  of 
Christians  turned  hungry,  or  half  frozen  dogs  and 
cats  away  from  their  doors  in  winter.  She  could  feel 
something  of  the  anguish  of  a  petted  dog  lost  in  the 
streets  of  a  great  city,  or  possibly  deserted  by  some 
brutal  owner,  who  received  from  the  faithful  animal 
more  love  than  he  deserved.  For  a  lost  child  homes 
were  provided;  for  a  lost  animal,  only  a  "  pound,"  or  a 
so-called  "  shelter,"  where,  after  two  or  three  days 
of  longing  for  his  home,  he  was  put  to  death.  About 
six  years  before  Mrs.  Gifford's  death  (Captain  Nathan 
Appleton,  of  Boston,  brother  of  Longfellow's  wife, 
gave  in  1881,  a  portion  of  his  estate  for  a  home  for 
animals,  and  Mrs.  Gifford  with  her  large  wealth  was 
glad  to  carry  out  his  project)  some  acres  of  land 
were  obtained  in  Brighton,  in  the  suburbs  of  Bos- 
ton, and  $20,000  was  given  by  her  to  build  the 
"  Sheltering  Home  for  Animals."  While  she  lived 
she  supported  the  institution  almost  entirely,  and  at  her 
death,  September  7,  1889,  she  left  to  "  The  Ellen  M. 
Gifford  Sheltering  Home  Corporation,  of  Boston," 
$85,390  to  carry  on  the  work  for  "  homeless,  neglected, 
diseased  or  abused  animals."  Besides  this  amount  she 
gave  to  the  American  S.  P.  C.  A.,  New  York,  $50,000, 
to  the  Massachusetts  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cru- 
elty to  Animals,  $55,000  ($30,000  of  this  being  given 
in  trust  for  the  "Animal  Home  Corporation,"),  to 
hospitals,  to  widows,  to  children,  to  the  aged,  the 
blind,  and  to  prison  associations,  about  a  million  dol- 
lars. 

The  objects  of  the  Gifford  Home  for  Animals  are: 


Homes  for  Animals 


379 


"  First,  to  aid  and  succor  the  waifs  and  strays  of  the 
city;  second,  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  sick,  abused, 
and  homeless  animate;  third,  to  find  good  homes  for 
those  who  come  to  the  shelter,  as  far  as  possible; 
fourth,  to  spread  the  gospel  of  humanity  towards 
dumb  creatures  by  practical  example." 

Some  time  ago  I  visited  the  Sheltering  Home  for 
Animals  on  Lake  street,  Brighton,  easily  accessible 
from  Boston  by  the  Beacon  street  and  Newton  Boule- 
vard cars,  and  found  an  institution  whose  principal 
features  might  well  be  copied  in  every  city  in  the  land. 

Besides  the  home  for  the  superintendent,  there  is  a 
long,  one-story  brick  building,  divided  by  wire  par- 
titions into  compartments,  to  accommodate  dogs.  Each 
has  a  bench  to  sleep  on,  about  a  foot  from  the  floor, 
which  may  be  covered  with  hay  or  straw.  The  build- 
ing is  heated  by  a  stove.  A  large  yard  adjoins  the 
house,  where  the  dogs  exercise  and  play  peaceably 
together. 

All  the  dogs  welcome  the  coming  of  a  visitor,  and 
crowd  around  eager  to  be  petted.  Some  are  old  and 
infirm,  some  large,  some  small,  but  all,  if  they  could 
speak,  would  bless  the  memory  of  the  woman  who 
has  given  them  a  home  for  life  unless  some  suitable 
one  is  provided  for  them.  One  large  shepherd  dog,  just 
brought  in  from  the  streets  of  Boston,  had  a  fur  rug  to 
sleep  on  till  her  little  ones  should  be  born. 

Many  persons  come  to  this  home  to  obtain  a  dog, 
and  are  expected  to  pay  something  for  it  if  they  are 
able,  thus  to  defray  the  expenses,  but  often  a  dog  is 
given  away  to  a  good  home. 

Not  far  away  is  the  cat  house,  a  two-story  structure 


380       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

with  tiers  or  shelves  on  every  side,  covered  with  hay, 
where  two  hundred  and  fifty  cats  may  lie  in  the  sun 
and  sleep  when  not  exercising  in  the  large  wire-cov- 
ered playgrounds.  The  males  and  females  are  in  sepa- 
rate parts  of  the  house.  This  is  also  heated  by  a  large 
stove.  The  dogs  are  fed  on  a  mixture  of  meat  and 
meal  or  graham  flour  cooked  together,  and  the  cats  on 
milk  and  meat,  all  having  roast  beef  usually  on  Sunday. 

Cats  may  be  brought  to  the  home  whenever  home- 
less, and  the  superintendent  calls  with  his  wagon  for  a 
dog  whenever  notified  that  one  is  lost  or  abused, 
or  without  a  home.  None  are  killed  unless  incurably 
diseased.  When  the  license  law  takes  effect  in  Boston, 
about  May  I,  for  the  summer  months,  many  dogs  are 
turned  upon  the  streets  and  become  homeless,  because 
some  owners  are  unwilling,  and  quite  often  unable,  to 
pay  the  license  fee.  If  the  Home  could  receive  all  such 
dogs  before  they  become  homeless  and  half  starved,  it 
would  be  a  greater  blessing  even  than  it  is  now.  Per- 
haps some  home  in  the  future,  with  a  larger  income, 
can  save  from  homelessness  and  starvation  the  un- 
wanted dogs;  or  perhaps,  with  a  higher  degree  of  civili- 
zation and  humaneness,  we  shall  do  away  with  license 
laws  which  destroy  thousands  of  affectionate  creatures 
through  the  mistaken  idea  that  cities  would  be  over- 
run with  dogs  without  such  laws.  Some  cities,  as  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  with  400,000  or  more  population 
have  no  license  laws  for  animals,  and  experience  no 
inconvenience  from  a  surplus  of  dogs  and  cats. 

Comparatively  few  animals  are  ever  seen  on  public 
thoroughfares  in  any  city  or  place  of  business.  The 
rich  keep  theirs  in  their  own  grounds.  If  those  of  the 


Homes  for  Animals  381 

poor  are  sometimes  on  the  streets  they  are  usually  the 
back  streets,  where  there  is  less  traffic  either  by  wagon 
or  cars. 

A  license  law  in  large  cities  works  harm  among  the 
poor,  where  a  dog  or  a  cat  is  a  humanizing  agent.  One 
of  the  greatest  blessings  a  child  in  poverty  can  have, 
or  indeed  one  brought  up  in  a  home  of  wealth,  is  a  pet 
animal  to  love  and  care  for.  Professor  Wesley  Mills 
wrote  in  the  Popular  Science  Monthly  for  May,  1896: 
"  I  strongly  advocate  each  family  having  some  one 
animal,  at  least,  to  be  brought  up  with  the  household 
to  some  extent,  whether  it  be  a  bird,  cat  or  dog." 

A  poor  woman  living  not  far  from  the  Brighton 
Home  was  notified  by  the  police  that  her  dog  and  pup- 
pies must  be  killed,  because  she  could  not  pay  the 
license  fee  of  five  dollars.  Her  children  cried  and  be- 
sought the  officer  not  to  take  their  pets,  but  the  law 
which,  alas !  is  so  poorly  enforced  in  regard  to  so 
many  evils,  must  needs  be  enforced  in  regard  to  dogs. 
Fortunately  the  Sheltering  Home  heard  of  the  case, 
took  the  dog  and  puppies  to  the  institution,  and  the 
Children  visited  them  and  played  with  them  every  day. 

The  animals  at  the  Home  appreciate  the  kindness  of 
their  keepers.  Joe,  a  dog  with  three  legs,  has  been  the 
pet  of  the  house  for  fourteen  years,  and  is  now  deaf  and 
nearly  blind.  A  Newfoundland  dog  brought  to  the 
Home  was  purchased  by  a  man  from  Philadelphia. 
When  the  owner  returned  to  Boston  with  a  boat  load  of 
coal,  the  dog  jumped  off  the  boat  near  Charlestown 
bridge  and  found  his  way  to  his  old  companions. 

Another  dog  was  given  twice  in  each  case  to  persons 
in  Boston,  Brookline  and  Watertown,  and,  always 


382       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

returning,  finally  was  permitted  to  live  and  die  among 
the  strays.  An  editor  in  Nova  Scotia  recently  sent  a 
picture  of  himself  with  his  dog,  taken  from  the  Home, 
to  which  he  had  become  tenderly  attached. 

Cats  have  been  sent  to  various  portions  of  the 
country  from  the  cat  house.  Two  recently  went  to 
Fort  Worth,  Texas,  by  express.  While  I  was  visiting 
the  Sheltering  Home  two  cats  were  sent  for  from 
Boston,  and  two  pretty  creatures,  black  and  white, 
were  picked  out  as  suitable  companions  for  each  other 
in  the  new  abode. 

A  few  old  horses  are  at  the  Home,  and  pass  the  rest 
of  their  days  happily,  though  I  am  told  that  owners 
usually  prefer  to  sell  them  for  a  pittance  after  their 
lives  of  hard  labor,  that  they  may  be  killed,  rather 
than  give  them  to  the  home.  Such  a  charity  as  the 
Ellen  M.  Gifford  Home  for  Animals  would  be  an  un- 
told blessing  in  all  of  our  large  cities. 

FRANCES  POWER  COBBE  REFUGE 

A  very  interesting  home  for  dogs  and  cats  is  the 
Frances  Power  Cobbe  Refuge  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana, 
conducted  as  a  labor  of  love,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster, 
cultivated  and  humane  people.  "  We  use  our  own  house, 
a  modest  little  cottage,"  Mrs.  Mary  O.  Elster  informs 
me.  "  The  cats  have  free  access  to  the  kitchen  and 
conservatory  opening  from  it,  and  the  dogs  mostly 
sleep  at  the  barn.  We  have  a  good  barn,  warmed  in 
cold  weather  by  natural  gas,  with  every  comfort  for 
the  dogs.  Some  of  the  smaller  dogs  sleep  in  the 
kitchen  with  the  cats.  All  are  perfectly  friendly 


Homes  for  Animals  383 

with  the  cats.  But  you  may  imagine  that  with 
usually  fifty  to  shelter,  the  work  of  feeding  and  keep- 
ing clean  is  a  heavy  one.  We  have  no  servant  or  assist- 
ant to  relieve  us  of  any  of  this  labor,  We  feed  milk, 
bread  and  milk,  mush,  and  meat  once  a  day  only.  The 
milk  the  pets  have  twice  a  day.  We  cook  nearly  all  the 
meat,  occasionally  giving  it  raw  to  the  cats.  As  to 
how  we  get  them — kind  people  who  find  strays  bring 
them  to  us;  children  often  bring  them.  We  find  them 
as  we  drive  about  town,  or  they  come  to  our  door  of 
their  own  accord. 

'  You  ask  how  long  we  keep  them.  That  depends 
on  their  condition.  We  love  them  so  that  we  cannot 
bear  to  put  them  to  sleep.  I  would  like  room  to  keep 
a  great  many  and  make  them  happy,  as  I  believe  they 
were  designed  to  be.  Ours  is  simply  our  own  idea  of 
what  God  has  given  us  to  do.  Our  hearts  are  very  sore 
over  the  wrongs  of  animals.  We  lack  both  room  and 
means  to  care  for  all  that  need  our  care  in  this  growing 
city." 

This  refuge  became  incorporated  in  the  spring  of 
1900.  If  many  persons  all  over  the  land  would  do 
such  work  as  this  what  a  different  world  this  would 
be  for  animals. 

"  Until  a  short  time  ago,"  says  the  Indianapolis 
News  for  July  21,  1900,  "  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster  con- 
ducted the  refuge  at  their  home,  2264  North  Pennsyl- 
vania street.  But  recently  a  much  more  suitable  place 
has  been  found  near  Irvington.  There,  on  a  beautiful 
piece  of  rolling  ground,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  lives 
the  happiest  family  of  dogs  and  cats  imaginable.  Just 
now,  there  are  no  horses  at  the  refuge,  as  quarters  have 


384       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

not  yet  been  arranged  for  them.  But  before  long 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster  hope  to  establish  a  '  rest '  for 
horses,  as  a  similar  London  charity  is  called,  where  not 
only  stray  horses  may  be  taken,  but  where  also  the  foot- 
sore barebones  of  the  poor  workingman  may  be  pas- 
tured for  something  like  twenty-five  cents  a  week, 
until  he  is  able  to  work  again. 

"  Entering  from  the  road,  between  two  fine  walnut 
trees,  the  visitor  to  the  refuge  passes  up  and  down  little 
knolls,  across  a  rustic  stone  bridge  embowered  in  green, 
drooping  willows  and  sweet  flag,  for  an  eighth  of  a  mile 
before  he  comes  on  the  old  house  which  is  serving  tem- 
porarily as  headquarters.  No  sooner  does  he  pass  the 
well  than  out  burst  twenty  or  thirty  dogs,  black,  brown 
white  and  spotted,  trim,  smart  terriers,  fuzzy-wuzzy 
French  poodles,  Great  Danes,  water  spaniels,  Blenheim 
spaniels,  ugly,  interesting  pugs,  Scotch  collies,  shepherd 
dogs,  thoroughbreds  and  mongrels,  all  barking,  yelping 
and  frisking  about  him.  If  he  is  not  timid  he  under- 
stands that  this  is  merely  dog-talk  for  '  Good-morning. 
How  do  you  do !  Come  right  in ! ' 

"  A  human  welcome  quickly  reinforces  the  canine 
one,  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster  are  fond  of  their  refugees, 
and  are  glad  to  show  them.  As  they  and  their  visitor 
sit  and  talk  about  the  work,  the  dogs  are  all  about,  per- 
fectly at  home.  Their  own  special  quarters  are  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  grounds,  but  they  are  devoted  to 
their  benefactors  and  are  happiest  when  with  them.  At 
present,  forty  dogs  and  almost  as  many  cats  are  being 
cared  for.  The  number  varies  constantly,  as  homes  are 
found  for  the  homeless  and  new  ones  are  brought  in. 


Homes  for  Animals  385 

Besides  caring  for  stray  animals,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster 
conduct  a  boarding  house  for  pets,  where  the  most 
pampered  cat,  the  most  fastidious  dog,  may  be  sure  of 
the  best  of  care  and  the  kindest  treatment. 

"  One  of  the  boarders  this  summer  is  old  Fritz,  a 
wheezy,  asthmatic  pug,  whose  breathing  can  be  heard 
all  over  the  house.  Fritz  has  stuffed  cake  and  candy 
until  he  is  so  fat  he  can  scarcely  walk.  Mrs.  Elster  is 
dieting  him,  and  hopes  by  the  time  his  owner  returns 
from  her  summer  vacation  to  reduce  his  weight  and  in- 
crease his  comfort.  He  is  a  comical  looking  old  fellow, 
of  little  use  in  the  world,  but  dear  to  his  mistress.  On 
giving  him  to  Mrs.  Elster  she  said  that  if  it  were  not 
for  the  refuge  she  would  have  been  obliged  to  stay 
home  all  summer.  Fritz,  of  course,  could  never  be 
left  to  the  mercy  of  servants.  Poor  old  Fritz!  He  is 
already  in  the  last  stage  of  dog  existence.  Pretty  soon 
it  will  be  sans  teeth,  sans  eyes,  sans  taste,  sans  every- 
thing ! 

"  Just  across  the  room  the  opposite  extremity  of  dog 
life  is  illustrated.  Lying  curled  up  in  a  little  soft  ball, 
black  as  ink,  is  a  tiny  pup  whose  eyes  have  been  opened 
on  this  world  just  a  single  day.  He  is  a  sleepy  little 
fellow,  and  all  day  dozes  on  his  carpet  bed,  the  black 
dog  in  his  mother's  family,  for  she  is  as  white  as  snow. 
June  is  her  name.  She  and  her  puppy  also  are  board- 
ers. Their  owners  are  just  now  living  at  a  hotel,  where, 
of  course,  dogs  are  not  allowed,  and  so  for  the  time 
being  they  are  exiled.  June  only  came  the  other  day, 
and  still  feels  strange.  Brought  out  to  show  her  fine, 
silky  coat,  she  trembles  all  over,  and  when  her  pup 


386       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

is  taken  from  her  a  moment  she  climbs  upon  you  piti- 
fully and  begs  to  have  it  again.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster 
may  take  the  pup  safely,  but  no  dog  dares  molest  it. 

"  Other  interesting  members  of  the  dog  family  are 
Billie,  who  lies  on  a  couch,  nursing  his  two  broken 
legs;  Kentucky  Babe,  a  pretty  Scotch  collie;  Nevina, 
a  curly-haired,  black,  bright-faced  little  fellow,  a  cross 
between  a  King  Charles  spaniel  ana  a  water  spaniel; 
Pinkie,  a  terrier,  who  runs  around  with  a  chain 
fastened  to  his  neck,  and  who  must  be  tied  when  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Elster  leave,  to  keep  him  from  running 
away.  Pinkie  is  a  favorite  with  the  neighborhood  chil- 
dren, and  they  often  come  to  borrow  him.  Nance  is 
a  brown  and  white,  kind-eyed  shepherd  dog,  who  is 
boarding  at  the  refuge  for  the  third  or  fourth  time. 
Ralph  is  a  smart-looking,  black  and  white  dog,  stumpy- 
tailed,  who  has  a  good  deal  of  Great  Dane  blood  in 
him.  Then  there  are  Mother  Rice,  Preacher,  a  white- 
breasted  terrier;  Adelina  Patti,  an  aristocratic  thor- 
oughbred Scotch  collie;  Flossie,  a  little  pug,  and  her 
chum,  Nellie,  a  fox  terrier;  Fred,  a  black  Newfound- 
land; Bynum,  Ralph,  a  bull  terrier,  who,  Mr.  Elster 
says,  must  have  needed  a  home,  and  have  been  told  of 
the  refuge,  as  he  simply  followed  him  out  f  om  the  city 
one  day;  Zip,  a  terrific  barker,  and  Jack.  Jack  is  the 
musician  of  the  refuge.  When  properly  instructed,  he 
will  sit  down  on  his  hind  legs,  raise  his  fore  paws  and 
yelp  most  musically.  He  is  shy  before  strangers,  but 
when  alone  with  Mr.  Elster,  and  encouraged  by  the 
accompaniment  of  a  whistle,  he  displays  a  doggish 
voice  of  remarkable  range. 

"  Jack  is  a  dog  of  strong  character.    He  has  a  good 


Homes  for  Animals  387 

face  and  many  good  traits,  if  he  is  only  a  stray,  yellow 
cur.  He  is  '  boss  '  of  the  other  dogs,  though  by  no 
means  the  largest  of  the  lot,  and  in  order  to  keep  his 
position,  must  do  considerable  righting.  Other  dogs, 
however,  must  never  fight  in  his  presence.  When  he 
sees  a  quarrel  begin,  he  at  once  separates  them.  He  is 
extremely  jealous  of  attentions  to  other  dogs,  particu- 
larly to  Bynum.  Sometimes,  when  Mr.  Elster  calls 
Jack,  he  will  not  answer,  but  a  call  for  Bynum  brings 
not  only  Bynum,  but  Jack  as  well,  growling  and  show- 
ing his  teeth.  The  refuge  is  a  perfect  place  in  which  to 
study  dog  character.  A  little  girl  who  heard  of  Jack's 
singing  was  somewhat  puzzled.  Finally  she  asked, 
'  Can  he  say  the  words  ?  ' 

"  Several  of  the  dogs  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elster  regard 
as  their  own.  One  of  these  is  a  cunning  little  terrier, 
Teddy.  All  the  dogs,  even  the  waifs,  have  names,  and 
one  is  treated  as  kindly  as  another.  They  are  all  fed 
once  a  day,  often  enough  for  them,  says  Mrs.  Elster. 
The  cats  are  mostly  kept  in  a  wire  inclosure,  back  of  the 
house.  They  get  milk  twice  a  day.  A  little  beyond  this 
inclosure  is  the  one  for  dogs.  Here  new  dogs  are  kept 
for  a  time  until  there  is  no  danger  of  their  straying  off 
again.  This  part  of  the  grounds  is  called  the  ravine. 
It  is  hilly,  and  through  it  runs  a  little  stream  that 
affords  bathing  for  the  dogs.  As  Mr.  Elster  led  a  troop 
of  them  down  to  the  creek  they  all  rushed  ahead,  and, 
leaping  into  the  water,  began  swimming  and  splashing 
in  keen  delight.  Nance  settled  herself  for  a  cool, 
watery  nap,  and  all  around  her  the  big  and  little  dogs 
played  hide-and-seek. 

"Just  beyond  the  creek  is  the  grave-yard.    As  yet 


388       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

there  is  only  one  little  mound  in  it.  This  is  under  a  big, 
shady  tree,  and  it  is  marked  by  a  headstone,  on  which 
doggie's  name  is  to  be  carved  some  day.  Not  all  the 
dogs  that  die  at  the  refuge  will  be  buried  here,  but  only 
those  that  have  attained  distinction  from  being  there  a 
long  time,  or  from  some  special  facts  in  their  history. 
The  dog  now  buried  there  had  an  unusual  history. 
He  was  an  old  circus  performer  [the  Gentry  show],  a 
Yorkshire  terrier,  grown  too  feeble  to  serve  his  master 
any  longer,  and  cruelly  given  away  to  the  first  boy  that 
happened  along.  This  boy's  mother  would  not  let  him 
keep  the  dog,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  refuge  he 
would  have  had  a  hard  time.  Mrs.  Elster  says  he  was 
wretched  and  sick  when  she  got  him,  but  she  nursed 
him  faithfully,  hoping  to  bring  him  back  to  strength 
and  to  a  green  old  age.  But  the  poor  fellow  had  been 
beaten  and  starved  too  long.  The  mere  sight  of  a  whip, 
she  says,  made  him  tremble,  and  finally  they  decided  to 
put  him  to  sleep  with  chloroform.  All  maimed  ani- 
mals, which  are  beyond  the  possibility  of  health  and 
happiness,  are  thus  treated.  In  the  last  four  years  two 
thousand  dogs  have  been  cared  for  or  put  out  of 
misery." 

To  the  great  grief  of  her  many  friends,  human  be- 
ings as  well  as  animals,  Mrs.  Elster,  the  founder  of  the 
Frances  Power  Cobbe  Refuge  at  Indianapolis,  died 
December  26,  1900,  of  internal  cancer.  She  was  a 
well  educated  and  very  superior  woman. 

She  had  written  much  for  the  press  both  in  original 
work  and  in  translating  from  other  languages.  Born  in 
Newark,  New  Jersey,  November  9,  1842,  and  joining 
the  Baptist  church  when  she  was  eleven  years  of  age, 


Homes  for  Animals  389 

she  became  a  school  teacher  at  sixteen,  and  taught  school 
almost  uninterruptedly  in  Champaign,  Illinois,  Chicago 
and  Indianapolis,  until  her  death.  Even  when  ill,  she 
taught  daily  in  the  public  schools,  also  in  the  evening, 
that  she  might  earn  money  to  carry  on  her  beloved 
Refuge  now  left  with  little  means. 

"  In  nearly  seventeen  years  of  teaching "  her  hus- 
band, Mr.  A.  C.  Elster  writes  me,  "  she  was  out  of 
school  but  four  and  one-half  days,  one  half  day  on 
account  of  her  boy  Percival's  sickness,  two  days  at  her 
father's  death,  and  two  days  because  of  her  own  sick- 
ness. 

"  I  first  knew  her  in  1868.  At  that  time  she  told 
of  a  little  dog  she  had  cared  for,  that  had  a  broken 
leg.  They  became  very  much  attached  to  him,  and 
kept  him  till  he  died  of  old  age. 

"  When  she  came  to  Indianapolis  she  brought  two 
dogs.  The  one  in  the  picture  I  send  you  she  found 
on  a  north  porch  of  a  house  in  Champaign.  She  in- 
terceded with  the  woman  in  the  house,  but  of  no  avail. 
She  would  not  feed  the  dog  nor  leave  the  rug  for 
fear  she  would  stay,  as  she  was  soon  to  have  puppies. 
When  Mary  went  home  from  school  and  saw  the  little 
thing  close  in  the  corner  she  could  not  stand  it,  so  took 
it  home  and  provoked  her  mother's  bitter  disapproval, 
and  kept  her  till  she  died  of  old  age. 

"  The  other  dog  was  a  Newfoundland  which  she 
rescued  from  some  boys  in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago.  He 
was  a  puppy,  seven  or  eight  months  old,  and  the  boys 
had  him  in  one  of  the  little  lakes,  and  were  throwing 
sticks  at  him  to  keep  him  from  getting  out.  Mary 
stopped  them,  took  the  puppy  back  to  her  boarding 


390       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

house  and  arranged  to  have  him  kept  until  Saturday  so 
she  could  take  him  to  her  home  in  Champaign,  128 
miles  distant.  He  lived  to  be  old  and  paralyzed.  Mary 
was  naturally  timid,  but  when  there  was  an  animal 
suffering  she  was  fearless." 

She  was  a  friend  to  horses,  always  when  possible 
preventing  their  overloading  or  high  checking.  "  She 
was  always,"  says  Mr.  Elster,  "  doing  for  somebody  or 
something;  self  was  the  last  thing  thought  of." 

A  year  before  she  died,  she  wrote  and  left  a  pathetic 
letter  to  her  husband : 

"Dec.   3,    1899. 
"  DEAR  ALBERT  : 

"  As  death  is  certain  to  come  to  me  before  very  long, 
I  will  ask  you  to  carry  out  strictly  and  sacredly  the 
requests  herein  made.  First,  do  not  incur  any  unneces- 
sary expense  for  my  burial.  The  most  obscure  and 
unpretentious  spot  is  good  enough  to  bury  me  in,  and 
I  wish  the  very  plainest  coffin  and  appointments." 

The  second  and  third  requests  were  for  a  private 
funeral,  and  the  reading  of  the  Episcopal  burial  service 
as  her  son  belonged  to  that  church,  and  a  "  Statement," 
"  as  the  last  good  I  can  do  our  dumb  friends." 

Her  last  request  was,  "  I  trust  you  can  find  a  way 
to  carry  on  the  work  for  them — O,  so  earnestly  I  hope 
it ;  but  if  not,  never  let  one  of  these  we  now  have  leave 
you.  Send  them  to  me  as  you  know  how  to  do.  I  will 
meet  little  Teddy  and  the  rest,  and  we  shall  all  be  so 
glad  together."  (Teddy  died  soon  after  his  mistress.) 

"  My  greatest  wish  for  my  darling  son  is  that  he  may 
live  to  accomplish  some  little  of  the  work  that  his 


Homes  for  Animals  391 

mother  tried  so  hard  to  do.  May  he  love  and  cherish 
every  living  thing." 

In  the  "  Statement  "  after  repeating  the  confession  of 
faith  from  the  prayer  book,  she  wrote: 

"  Believing  all  this  most  fully  I  have  not  for  many- 
years  identified  myself  with  any  church,  chiefly  because 
I  do  not  know  of  any  church  which  looks  upon  the 
animal  world — outside  of  man — as  included  in  its  mis- 
sion of  '  good  will  on  earth.' 

"  My  idea  of  the  '  holy  Catholic  church  '  is  one  which 
shall  reach  out  its  protecting  hand  to  every  animal  into 
which  God  has  breathed  the  breath  of  life — even  the 
humblest  of  them  all,  which  shall  shelter  them,  defend 
them  from  torture  at  the  hand  of  their  most  relentless 
enemy,  man;  forbid  mutilation,  vivisection  and  every 
form  of  cruelty  known  to  fashion  or  science;  which 
shall  esteem  their  rights  as  equal  to  our  own ;  yea 
greater,  even  as  they  are  weaker  and  incapable  of  speech. 

"  To  live  and  teach  this  Gospel  has  been  my  life 
work.  From  a  little  child  I  have  suffered  for  and  with 
the  animal  world ;  have  suffered  ridicule,  loss  of  friends 
and  position,  but  my  faith  is  still  strong  that  toward  this 
goal  is  the  world  reaching. 

"  And  I  trust  that  our  Father  in  the  next  world  will 
be  merciful  to  me  as  I  have  been  merciful  to  them  in 
this." 

REFUGE  IN   PARIS 

All  over  the  world  the  interest  is  deepening  with  re- 
gard to  our  dumb  friends.  Since  1884  Baronne  d'Her- 
pent  has  devoted  her  time  and  money  to  the  care  of 
homeless  dogs  and  cats  in  Paris.  She  has  found  good 


392       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

homes  for  about  6,000  dogs.  At  her  home,  No.  12 
Place  Chateaudun,  at  Levallois-Perrel,  she  keeps  about 
thirty  dogs  in  the  "  home  lot,"  as  she  calls  it,  and  at 
her  Refuge,  No.  27  Route  de  la  Revoke,  at  the  right 
of  the  Porte  de  Courcelles,  she  has  300  waifs  and  strays. 
She  has  plenty  of  clean  straw  for  beds  and  wholesome 
food. 

Unlike  most  so-called  "  homes "  or  "  shelters " 
where  animals  are  gathered  off  the  streets  only  to  be 
killed  in  twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours,  Mme.  d'Her- 
pent  will  not  hear  of  killing.  They  must  die  a  natural 
death.  The  cost  of  keeping  up  the  Refuge  is  about  $200 
a  month.  She  uses  kitchen  remnants  given  her  by  rich 
families,  horse  flesh,  stale  bread,  milk,  etc.  She  pays 
a  dog  dealer's  tax,  and  therefore  has  the  right  to  keep 
as  many  dogs  as  she  chooses. 

Many  American  ladies  have  helped  the  baroness,  and 
she  thanks  them  through  the  pages  of  the  New  York 
Herald,  March  10,  1901.  That  paper  has  shown  by 
its  cordial  support  of  her  work  how  much  a  newspaper 
can  aid  a  good  cause.  The  French  press  has  been 
aroused  by  its  articles,  and  over  $1,000  has  just  been 
subscribed  through  the  Herald  columns  (the  paper 
giving  1,000  francs),  much  of  it  coming  "  in  memory 
of  two  skye  terriers,"  or  "  three  faithful  four-footed 
friends,"  etc.  It  is  stated  that  Kipling  has  just  sent 
the  baroness  $500. 

Paris  has  become  awakened  to  the  shame  of  its 
"  Fourriere,"  or  pound,  where  men  employed  by  the 
police  catch  stray  dogs,  often  stealing  them,  and  get 
twenty-five  cents  apiece  for  their  brutal  work.  The 
dogs  are  driven  into  pens,  kept  without  food  or  water, 


Homes  for  Animals  393 

put  into  a  gas  tank  where  the  tube  has  leaked  for  years, 
and,  after  several  minutes,  are  pronounced  dead.  They 
are  then  put  into  a  wagon  and  driven  away  to  be 
skinned,  and  their  bodies  used  for  the  refuse  heap.  The 
drivers  say  that  often  a  half -suffocated  dog  comes  to 
life  in  the  wagon,  and  they  have  to  kill  it  with  a 
hammer. 


HACKBRIDGE  HOME,  SURREY,  ENGLAND 

In  connection  with  the  Temporary  Home  for  Lost 
and  Starving  Dogs  at  Battersea  Park  Road,  London, 
a  Branch  Home  was  opened  at  Hackbridge,  Surrey. 
October  29,  1898,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Portland 
presiding.  A  fox-terrier  was  given  to  the  Duchess 
as  a  memento  of  the  occasion.  This  one  was  selected 
as  it  sat  up  and  begged  when  the  Duchess  arrived,  a 
pretty  trick,  it  had  doubtless  been  taught  by  some  fond 
owner.  She  probably  had  many  other  dogs,  but  a 
woman  with  a  generous  heart  usually  has  room  for  one 
more  homeless  animal.  The  cost  of  this  Hackbridge 
Home  was  £6,171,  including  £3,194  for  the  land,  and 
£1,197  for  the  kennels.  Each  kennel  is  nearly  large 
enough  for  a  horse.  There  is  a  trough  of  water  almost 
large  enough  for  a  bath,  and  a  raised  plank  bed  lib- 
erally provided  with  straw.  Edith  Hawthorne  gives 
a  most  interesting  account  of  this  Home,  in  a  Souvenir 
daintily  illustrated  and  prepared  for  this  noble  and 
noteworthy  opening.  She  describes  a  crowd  gathering, 
and  a  large  covered  van  coming  out  of  the  police  yard, 
while  a  driver  with  his  whip  tries  to  separate  two  big 
dogs.  She  inquires  the  cause  and  is  told  by  a  work- 


394       OUF  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

man  "  that  a  big  un  or  two  inside  is  a  upsettin'  of  the 
little  uns.  Pore  beggars!  I'm  allus  sorry  fur  it's  a 
bit  rough  to  die  afore  yer  time  comes,  aint  it,  mum  ?  an' 
jist  becos  you  was  found  a  wanderin'  about  the  streets 
with  nothin'  on'  so  to  speak — no  muzzle  an'  no  collar, 
yer  know." 

"  The  long  summer  through,"  says  Miss  Haw- 
thorne, "  each  morning  is  darkened  for  dog  lovers  by 
the  same  pitiful  sights.  Open  carts  and  covered  vans 
filled  with  hapless  creatures,  some  with  drooping  heads 
and  despondent  hearts,  others  dismally  wailing,  some 
again,  innocent  guileless  things,  thinking  they  were  out 
for  a  holiday  jaunt,  and  greeting  passengers  awheel 
and  afoot  with  gleesome  cries,  yet  all,  the  young  and 
old,  the  sick  and  well,  the  merry  and  sad,  the  hand- 
some and  ugly,  all,  all  alike  rotating  to  the  same  dire 
axis,  to  meet  on  the  same  common  threshold,  and  to  be. 
alas!  condemned  to  the  same  hard  and  bitter  fate, — 
hundreds  waiting  with  weary,  aching  hearts  for  the 
masters  that  never  come  to  seek  them." 

And  then  she  presents  a  different  picture :  "  We 
looked  over  the  stone  parapet,  and  beheld  one  of  the 
prettiest  sights  we  have  yet  come  across  in  our  rambles. 

"  A  large  meadow  or  open  space  where  forty  or  fifty 
couple  of  dogs  were  running  races  with  one  another, 
frisking  and  frolicking  about  in  all  the  abandon  of  youth 
and  health,  and  high  spirits.  A  mixed  pack,  truly! 
For  no  two  dogs  were  akin  in  size,  or  breed,  or  color. 

"  An  intelligent  black-and-tan  collie  came  bounding 
forward  to  inspect  us.  But  one  sniff  and  glance  con- 
vinced him  we  were  neither  robber  nor  rogue,  and  he 
thrust  his  moist  muzzle  confidently  into  our  hand,  indi- 


Homes  for  Animals  395 

eating  that  he  would  prove  at  once  a  zealous  protector 
and  an  affectionate  companion.  There,  away  in  the 
middle  of  the  enclosure,  monarch  and  king  of  the 
crowd,  a  big  tawny  St.  Bernard,  a  guardian  born  for 
those  lonely  detached  houses  we  had  passed  on  our 
travels  that  morning.  Here,  a  curly  tailed  pug,  racing 
over  the  grass  as  contentedly  as  if  at  home  romping 
about  his  mistress's  boudoir.  Where,  oh,  where  could 
she  be  that  she  had  not  yet  sought  her  little  playful  pet ! 
There,  again,  a  neat,  cobby  terrier,  bubbling  over  with 
energy  that  little  less  than  a  warehouse  full  of  rats 
could  subdue.  Against  the  palings,  a  living  monu- 
ment of  wistful  patience,  a  bob-tailed  sheep-dog,  fidelity 
writ  clear  in  his  blue,  brown  eyes.  Here  at  our  feet,  a 
sleek  dachshund,  with  sweeping  velvety  eyes,  a  lady's 
diminutive  slave,  ever  ready  to  attend  her  on  her 
shopping  expeditions  with  an  unflagging  patience  and 
good  nature  that  none  other  could  perform  without 
serious  loss  of  temper. 

"  There  they  were — big  dogs,  little  dogs,  giddy, 
volatile  youths,  sober,  sedate  matrons,  and  with  not  a 
cowed,  scared,  or  frightened  look  among  them. 

"  '  And  are  all  these  happy  creatures,'  we  asked, 
'  awaiting  their  owner's  arrival  to  claim  them  ?  ' 

"  '  Some  few,  perhaps,  madam;  but  the  majority  of 
them  are  wanting  purchasers;  for  some  extraordinary 
reasons,  they  have  not  been  claimed.' 

"  Asking  Mr.  Ward,  the  Secretary  at  London,  how 
this  beneficent  country  home  came  to  be  opened,  he  re- 
plied, '  For  many  years  the  Committee  have  felt  the 
great  need  of  a  Country  Home  for  the  dogs  who  might 
be  sold,  but  who,  if  kept  in  the  Battersea  Home,  are 


396        Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

liable  to  contract  disease,  and  it  is  in  order  to  save  these 
dogs  that  the  Country  Home  is  founded.  But  neces- 
sary as  this  Home  is,  the  Committee  were  unable  to 
commence  operations  until  a  lady,  a  great  lover  of 
dogs  and  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Battersea  Home, 
most  generously  gave  £1,000  towards  this  specific  ob- 
ject. This  noble  example  was  followed  by  a  donation 
of  £1,200  from  another  lady,  and  so,  with  such  a  start 
and  the  aid  of  other  donations,  we  were  enabled  to 
purchase  the  land  at  Hackbridge  and  erect  the  fine 
quarters  you  inspected  this  morning.  We  shall  now 
be  able  to  retain  the  dogs  longer,  and  in  a  better  and 
healthier  condition,  and  give  them  also  a  fairer  chance 
of  finding  new  owners,  should  their  old  ones  fail  to 
claim  them.  The  Queen  will  also  be  pleased  to  hear 
of  this  scheme  for  the  better  welfare  of  her  favorite 
animal  the  dog,  for  when  Her  Majesty  became  patron 
of  the  Home  the  period  for  the  retention  of  the  dogs 
was  extended  from  three  days  to  five  days  at  her 
kindly  request.  It  therefore  rests  with  the  public  to 
support  us  in  our  efforts  to  continue  the  good  work 
so  generously  commenced  by  our  noble-hearted  dog 
lovers.' 

"  '  And  the  public  will  support  you,  Mr.  Ward,  we 
feel  sure,  when  it  hears  of  this  splendid  and  much 
needed  branch.' 

'  Yes,  we  all  hope  so,  for  we  shall  be  saving  the 
lives  and  improving  the  condition  of  every  dog  it  is  not 
necessary  to  put  in  the  lethal  chamber.  Many  dogs 
come  to  the  Home  who  are  never  claimed,  and  if  these 
can  be  medically  treated  and  enjoy  comparative  free- 


Homes  for  Animals  397 

dom  and  exercise  in  country  air,  they  will  be  restored  to 
sound  health  and  be  ready  for  sale  in  a  good  and  happy 
condition.' ' 

Miss  Hawthorne  urges  all  to  visit  the  Home,  eight 
or  nine  miles  by  carriage,  or  twenty-five  miles  from 
London  by  rail;  "if,  at  any  time,  they  should  be  in 
need  of  an  alert  guardian  to  protect  their  property,  or 
an  affectionate  little  pet  to  fill  with  life  and  gaiety  a 
desolate  childless  home,  they  are  asked,  nay.  implored, 
to  bear  in  mind  the  hundreds  of  poor  dogs  waiting — 
anxiously,  yearningly  waiting  for  owners  upon  whom 
to  bestow  their  protection  and  their  love. 

"  Then  standing  upon  the  little  bridge  not  a  hundred 
yards  from  the  railway  station,  he  will  look  down  upon 
this  finely  situated  Home.  For  just  below  is  the  keep- 
er's pretty  cottage,  reached  by  a  slightly  undulating 
avenue  of  shrubs  and  trees.  Beyond  is  the  courtyard 
and  receiving  house,  where  the  neat  dark  green  van  dis- 
charges its  happy,  expectant  load,  and  each  animal  is 
examined  by  the  keeper  to  see  if  it  is  in  need  of  any 
special  treatment,  or  can  at  once  be  drafted  into  the 
kennels.  Clear  of  these  quarters  is  a  broad  vista  of 
greensward,  where  dogs  are  seen  playing  together  like 
schoolboys  out  of  school;  adjacent  is  a  long  double  row 
of  kennels,  the  male  and  female  members  of  this  fortu- 
nate community  being  kept  strictly  apart.  Adjoining 
the  kennels  is  another  sweeping  expanse  of  grass, 
deputed  to  the  fair  sex  for  exercise  and  diversion ;  and 
to  the  right  is  the  proposed  canine  cemetery,  soon, 
doubtless  to  be  dotted  with  tiny,  white  tombstones, 
bearing  appropriate  inscriptions  to  the  virtues  of 


398       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

deeply  mourned  and  dearly  cherished  friends.  The 
whole  framed  in  a  setting  of  fine  old  elms. 

"  For  be  it  ever  remembered  that  until  this  Branch 
opened,  thousands  of  poor  dogs,  aye,  every  whit  as  full 
of  frolic  and  gaiety  as  those  we  saw  at  Hackbridge, 
were  condemned  to  death  through  sheer  inability  to 
provide  them  with  food  and  shelter  for  a  longer  period 
than  five  days.  An  appalling  massacre  of  true  and 
faithful  hearts  that  was  as  regrettable  and  painful,  as 
unfortunately  it  was  inevitable." 

As  long  as  license  laws  are  allowed  to  exist,  so  long 
will  the  "  massacre  of  true  and  faithful  hearts  "  be 
inevitable,  unless  such  Homes  are  provided.  There  is 
plenty  of  wealth  all  over  the  land  for  such  homes,  as 
much  as  for  poor  orphan  children,  and  invalids,  and 
aged.  We  shall  come  sometime,  I  believe,  to  such  a 
true  civilization  that  we  shall  feel  and  know  that  it  is 
wrong  wantonly  to  destroy  God's  creatures,  who  have 
a  right  to  live,  and  besides  can  be  made  so  helpful  to 
mankind.  We  shall  perhaps  have  to  overcome  a  selfish 
desire  to  live  at  ease  and  have  no  care  either  of  dumb 
pet  or  child.  If  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground  with- 
out His  notice,  we  shall  sometime  learn  that  we  have 
a  duty  toward  any  speechless,  homeless  thing;  not  to 
kill  it,  a  creature  so  devoted,  so  intelligent,  so  faithful, 
but  to  save  it  and  make  a  home  for  it.  We  look  with 
horror  upon  China  destroying  her  female  children,  and 
India  putting  her  aged  people  by  the  Ganges  to  die, 
while  they  in  turn  look  with  horror  upon  the  treat- 
ment of  animals  by  professedly  Christian  nations. 
Ralph  Waldo  Trine  well  says  in  "  Every  Living 
Creature" : 


Homes  for  Animals  399 

"  It  is  said  that  in  Japan,  if  one  picks  up  a  stone  to 
throw  at  a  dog,  the  dog  will  not  run,  as  you  will  find  he 
will  in  most  every  case  here  in  America,  because  there, 
the  dog  has  never  had  a  stone  thrown  at  him,  and  con- 
sequently he  does  not  know  what  it  means.  This  spirit 
of  gentleness,  kindliness,  and  care  for  the  animal 
world  is  a  characteristic  of  the  Japanese  people.  It  in 
turn  manifests  itself  in  all  of  their  relations  with  their 
fellowmen;  and  one  of  the  results  is  that  the  amount  of 
crime  committed  each  year  in  proportion  to  its  popu- 
lation is  but  a  very  small  fraction  of  that  committed 
in  the  United  States. 

"  In  India,  where  the  treatment  of  the  entire  animal 
world  is  something  to  put  to  shame  our  own  country, 
with  its  boasted  Christian  civilization  and  power,  there, 
with  a  population  of  some  three  hundred  millions,  there 
is  but  one-fourth  the  amount  of  crime  that  there  is 
each  year  in  England,  with  a  population  of  less  than 
twenty  millions,  and  only  a  small  fraction  of  what  it  is 
in  the  United  States,  with  a  population  less  than  one- 
fourth  the  population  of  India.  These  are  most  signifi- 
cant facts;  they  are  indeed  facts  of  tremendous  import, 
and  we  would  do  wisely  to  estimate  them  at  their 
proper  value." 


CHAPTER  XVII 
Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs 

THE  cruel  laws  about  dogs  in  many  of  our  states 
can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the 
speechless  have  no  votes,  and  laws  have  been 
made  by  their  enemies,  while  their  friends  too  often 
have  kept  silent.  In  the  Massachusetts  Public  Statutes, 
chapter  102,  page  551,  section  90,  we  find  this  license 
law :  "  The  mayor  of  each  city  and  the  chairman  of 
the  selectmen  of  each  town  shall  annually,  within  ten 
days  from  the  first  day  of  July,  issue  a  warrant  to  one 
or  more  police  officers  and  constables,  directing  them 
to  proceed  forthwith  either  to  kill  or  cause  to  be  killed 
all  dogs  within  such  city  or  town  not  licensed  and  col- 
lared according  to  the  provisions  of  this  chapter,  and  to 
enter  complaint  against  the  owners  or  keepers  thereof; 
and  any  person  may,  and  every  police  officer  and  con- 
stable shall  kill  or  cause  to  be  killed  all  such  dogs 
whenever  or  wherever  found.  Such  officers,  other  than 
those  employed  under  regular  pay,  shall  receive  one 
dollar  for  each  dog  so  destroyed  from  the  treasuries  of 
their  respective  counties,  except  that  in  the  county  of 
Suffolk  they  shall  receive  it  from  the  treasuries  of  their 
respective  cities  or  towns." 

By  the  above  law,  any  person  may  kill  an  unlicensed 
dog,  and  every  police  officer  and  constable  shall  kill 
"  wherever  found,"  no  matter  how  well-kept,  or  loved 

400 


SHAW.MUT    KKNNEI.S,   New 


I.  NOTED    FRENCH    BULLDOGS    FROM 

York  City.  — 2.  FIRST  PRIZE  COLLIES,  VERONA  SEI.KX  TK»N, 
CHAMPION  OLD  HALL,  ADMIRAL,  AND  CHAMIMON  HEATIIKR 
MINT,  owned  by  Mr.  James  Watson,  New  York  City. 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  401 

the  dog  may  be.  It  need  not  be  homeless,  and  may  be 
devoting  its  life  to  some  companionless  child,  but  the 
great  state  of  Massachusetts,  the  friend  of  the  slave. 
and  the  helpless,  gives  a  dollar  for  each  helpless  dog 
that  is  killed,  so  that  the  officer  must  needs  kill  many  if 
he  would  have  a  living  salary.  Four  thousand  or  more 
are  thus  killed  yearly  in  Boston. 

A  Boston  official  told  me  that  once  when  he  seized 
a  dog  from  a  hallway  to  which  it  had  run  from  the 
street  for  protection,  and  threw  it  into  his  dog-wagon, 
a  girl  of  six  went  nearly  into  convulsions,  only  faintly 
able  to  cry  out,  "My  doggie!  my  doggie!  "  The  offi- 
cer paid  the  license  fee  from  his  own  pocket,  and  re- 
stored the  dog  to  the  almost  heart-broken  child. 

Another  time  when  about  to  take  an  unlicensed  dog, 
he  found  the  owner,  a  sailor,  absent  from  home,  and 
the  old  mother,  deaf,  and  both  legs  paralyzed.  The 
dog  was  her  only  companion,  and  guard,  and  comfort. 
He  complied  with  the  cruel  law  by  paying  the  license 
fee  himself,  and  restored  the  dog  to  the  poor  cripple. 
The  license  fee  is  two  dollars  for  a  male,  and  five 
dollars  for  a  female  dog.  A  poor  woman  in  a  town 
in  Eastern  Massachusetts  sold  her  only  bureau  to  the 
town  clerk  that  she  might  have  money  for  that  one  year 
to  save  her  dog.  What  she  sold  to  preserve  its  life  the 
following  year,  I  do  not  know. 

During  my  last  visit  in  Boston,  in  August,  1900,  I 
saw  the  dog-wagon  filled  with  dogs  who  cried  and 
climbed  against  the  front,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  get  out, 
while  two  or  three  scores  of  little  children  ran  after 
the  wagon,  knowing  probably  that  their  pets  would 
soon  be  killed.  This  work  of  breaking  little  children's 


402       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

hearts,  by  destroying  the  pets  of  the  poor,  begins  at 
6 130  in  the  morning,  and  when  the  wagon  is  full,  it  is 
taken  to  the  Dog  Repository  on  Washington  street, 
where  the  helpless  creatures  are  killed  at  once  by  poison. 
If  this  were  a  heathen  nation,  we  might  not  be  sur- 
prised, although  such  a  thing  would  not  be  tolerated 
in  India  or  Turkey,  but  we  call  ourselves  Christians, 
and  profess  to  "go  about  doing  good  "  like  our  Great 
Exemplar ! 

New  York  city  has  the  following  law,  Chapter  115, 
Laws  1894:  "  Every  person  who  owns  or  harbors  one 
or  more  dogs  within  the  corporate  limits  of  any  city 
having  a  population  of  over  eight  hundred  thousand, 
shall  procure  a  yearly  license  and  pay  the  sum  of  two 
dollars  for  each  dog.  *  *  *  Dogs  not  licensed  pur- 
suant to  the  provision  of  this  act  shall  be  seized,  and 
if  not  redeemed  within  forty-eight  hours,  may  be  de- 
stroyed or  otherwise  disposed  of  at  the  discretion  of 
the  society  empowered  and  authorized  to  carry  out  the 
provisions  of  this  act." 

Thousands  in  New  York  city  are  too  poor  to  pay  a 
dog-license,  and  do  not  know  that  they  must  travel  to 
the  headquarters  of  the  American  Society  for  the  Pre- 
vention of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  on  Madison  Avenue 
and  26th  street,  to  pay  the  license.  When  any  of  the 
five  dreaded  dog-wagons  with  their  two  stalwart 
drivers  each,  appear  on  the  poor  streets,  and  any  person 
attempts  to  save  his  pet,  by  interfering  with  the  dog- 
catcher,  he  or  she  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor, 
pay  not  less  than  $25  nor  more  than  $100  or  be  im- 
prisoned not  less  than  ten  days  or  more  than  thirty,  or 
be  punished  by  both  fine  and  imprisonment!  Or  if  he 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  403 

owns  or  harbors  a  dog  and  does  not  pay  a  license  he  is 
"  guilty  of  disorderly  conduct  "  and  shall  pay  a  fine 
or  go  to  prison  until  the  fine  is  paid !  He  cannot  take  in 
a  homeless  creature  if  he  would,  unless  willing  to  go  to 
jail  unless  the  license  is  paid.  Man,  woman  and  child 
must  stand  silent  and  see  their  property  taken  from 
them  to  be  destroyed,  and  utter  no  word  against  a  brutal 
law,  easily  obtained  because  there  are  few  to  plead  for 
the  speechless  dog,  and  few,  also,  to  plead  for  his  poor 
owner. 

As  a  result  of  this  New  York  city  law,  the  almost  in- 
credible number  of  about  90,000  dogs  and  cats  were 
destroyed  by  gas  in  1899  in  that  city,  probably  about 
half  of  these  being  cats,  found  without  collars.  I  know 
of  no  other  city  in  the  world  where  harmless  and  use- 
ful cats,  the  property  of  their  owners,  can  be  thus  sacri- 
ficed by  a  cruel  law. 

This  New  York  dog-license  law  executed  by  the  S.  P. 
C.  A.,  was  tested  in  the  courts  and  it  was  decided  in 
January,  1898,  that  a  Legislature  "  cannot  vest  a  society 
with  power  to  kill  or  dispose  of  other  people's  property." 
A  similar  decision  was  given  with  regard  to  the  Ohio 
Humane  Society  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  March  8,  1898, 
that  a  dog  is  private  property  and  cannot  be  taken 
without  due  process  of  law,  without  violating  both 
State  and  National  Constitutions. 

In  many  other  states  the  dog  laws  are  not  very  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York.  In 
Indiana  the  law  reads :  "  It  shall  be  unlawful  for  any 
dog  to  roam  about  over  the  country  unattended  by  its 
owner  or  the  agent  of  said  owner,  and  that  when  such 
dog  shall  be  found  roaming  over  the  country  unat- 


404       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

tended  as  provided  in  this  act  the  same  shall  be  deemed 
a  runabout  dog  and  it  shall  be  lawful  to  kill  such  a 
dog."  Ohio  had  at  one  time  such  an  unjust  law  which 
allowed  any  person  to  kill  any  dog  at  large  unaccom- 
panied by  his  master,  but  fortunately  this  was  repealed 
by  the  O'Neil  Bill  of  1898,  which  gave  to  dogs  all  the 
rights  of  other  live  stock. 

In  Indiana  a  female  dog  over  ninety  days  old  is  taxed 
$3.00,  "  more  than  a  man  is  taxed  on  his  fifty  or  one 
hundred  ewes  and  lambs.  Justice  says  such  a  law  is  a 
disgrace  to  all  voters  of  our  state,"  writes  a  man  from 
Indiana.  A  lady  from  that  state  writes  me :  "  Here 
in  the  city  an  additional  tax  of  one  dollar  makes  the 
keeping  of  a  female  dog  a  very  great  burden  upon  poor 
people.  Even  the  rich  are  unwilling  to  pay  four  dol- 
lars a  year  for  tax  on  a  dog.  The  result  is,  female 
puppies  and  dogs  are  dropped  all  over  the  city.  We 
find  them  homeless  and  starving." 

It  is  difficult  to  see  why  a  dog  should  be  taxed  any 
more  than  a  pet  cat  or  a  pet  bird,  but  if  licensed  and  the 
tax  not  paid,  why  the  dog  should  be  killed,  any  more 
than  a  man's  horse  or  ox. 

In  New  Hampshire,  where  the  tax  is  two  dollars  for 
a  male  and  five  for  a  female  (and  it  is  the  same  in 
Connecticut,  a  tax  often  out  of  all  proportion  to  the 
value  of  a  dog,  or  the  tax  paid  on  other  property), 
"  No  person  shall  be  liable  for  killing  a  dog  which 
shall  be  found  not  having  around  his  neck  a  collar  of 
brass,  tin  or  leather,  with  the  name  of  the  owner  carved 
or  engraved  thereon." 

In  Nebraska,  where  a  dog  is  "  personal  property," 
"  It  shall  be  lawful  for  any  person  to  kill  any  dog  found 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  405 

running  at  large  on  whose  neck  there  is  no  collar  as 
aforesaid,  and  no  action  shall  be  sustained  for  such 
killing." 

Michigan  in  1899,  passed  a  dog  law,  obnoxious  to  all 
dog-owners,  and  all  lovers  of  clogs.  In  1885  she  passed 
a  law  making  dogs  "  personal  property  "  and  subject 
to  taxation  like  horses  and  cows.  Now  she  compels 
all  township  boards  and  city  councils  each  to  appoint 
a  dog-warden.  He  collects  one  dollar  for  each  male 
dog  and  three  for  each  female,  receiving  twenty-five  per 
cent,  for  collecting,  and  any  dog  not  wearing  his  collar 
shall  be  killed  by  him  or  his  owner,  and  he  receives  one 
dollar  for  each  dog  killed  under  his  jurisdiction !  The 
Dog  Fancier  published  by  Eugene  Glass  at  Battle 
Creek,  Mich.,  pertinently  asks,  "  Can  a  person  be  com- 
pelled to  pay  a  license  for  owning  personal  property 
subject  to  taxation  ?  A  few  months  ago,  when  the  dog- 
wardens  received  their  appointments  and  went  forth 
on  their  merciless  mission,  a  wave  of  dissatisfaction 
and  protest  went  up  from  all  over  the  state,  and  many 
a  little  child's  eyes  will  fill  with  tears  to  this  day  if  men- 
tion is  made  of  '  Tim/  or  '  Jack,'  or  '  Flossie,'  who  will 
never  again  gladden  their  little  hearts  by  joining  in 
their  childish  play." 

Mr.  Glass  calls  upon  "  all  owners  and  friends  of  the 
only  animal  on  earth  that  remains  faithful  and  loyal  to 
man,  even  to  isolation  from  its  kind  and  unto  death,  to 
unite  in  one  general  demand  of  the  next  legislature  that 
the  present  dog  law  be  repealed." 

It  seems  strange  that  Michigan,  after  taking  away 
the  pets  from  the  children,  should  so  realize  the  human- 
izing effect  of  animals  upon  people  that  in  her  State 


406       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Prison  at  Jackson,  she  allows  over  800  birds  to  be  kept 
by  her  800  prisoners,  to  be  tended  and  loved  by  them,  to 
make  them  more  gentle !  Would  it  not  be  well  to  make 
them  gentle  before  they  become  convicts? 

What  are  the  results  of  all  such  dog-license  laws? 
The  killing  of  tens  of  thousands  of  devoted,  helpful 
creatures,  who  have  been  the  joy  of  children,  and  the 
protectors  of  homes :  the  hardening  also  of  the  public 
conscience  by  the  sight  of  dog-wagons  and  dog-catchers 
and  the  brutalizing  of  many  of  the  men  themselves. 
An  official  told  me  this  summer  that  it  was  very  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  the  proper  men  for  the  cruel  work,  and 
that  in  a  large  number  of  cases  their  work  so  hardened 
them,  that  he  was  obliged  to  discharge  them  for  kick- 
ing the  animals  or  other  rough  treatment,  and  hire 
others  in  their  places. 

When  a  dog-license  law  was  in  force  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  a  gentleman  told  me  that  he  saw  a  dog-catcher 
call  a  dog  from  the  side  of  a  poorly  dressed  little  girl. 
The  child  ran,  caught  the  animal  in  her  arms  and 
hugged  it  under  her  thin  shawl.  Again  the  man 
whistled,  and  probably  supposing  a  bone  was  to  be 
offered  him,  the  dog  jumped  from  her  arms.  When  a 
few  feet  from  her  the  man  shot  the  dog,  which  lay 
bleeding  and  gasping  before  the  child,  who  cried  as  if 
her  heart  would  break.  The  dog-catcher  received  his 
pittance  from  the  city  for  his  dastardly  deed.  "  The 
poor  should  not  keep  dogs,"  say  some  persons.  It  is 
useless  to  argue  with  a  certain  class  in  the  community, 
who  think  the  poor  have  no  place  nor  rights  in  this 
world. 

Some  years  ago  in  Cleveland,  instead  of  being  shot 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  407 

by  policemen  on  one's  door-step,  the  dogs  were  gath- 
ered up  by  eager  men  and  boys  and  drowned  in  a  big 
receptacle,  where  they  struggled  and  cried  till  the  look- 
ers-on were  sick  at  heart  as  one  animal  after  another 
became  exhausted  and  died.  One  big,  shaggy  New- 
foundland, I  was  told,  appealed  to  the  bystanders  with 
his  great,  dark  eyes  and  intelligent  face,  as  he  made  a 
desperate  struggle  for  life,  but  there  was  no  help  tor 
him  in  a  great  city  that  must  have  money  or  the  death 
of  the  unlicensed. 

Several  years  since  a  lover  of  dogs,  a?  member  of 
the  Cleveland  Kennel  Club,  Mr.  C.  M.  Munhall,  real- 
izing how  the  license  law  bore  heavily  on  the  poor  who 
could  ill  afford  to  pay,  and  believing  that  the  dog  is 
"  property,"  and  that  a  city  has  no  right  to  kill  it,  any 
more  than  a  man's  horse  or  cow,  brought  suit  against 
Cleveland,  and  a  "  perpetual  injunction  "  was  granted 
by  the  court,  "  restraining  the  city  from  killing  dogs." 
The  license  law  was  of  no  effect  after  this  decision  was 
rendered.  Mr.  Munhall  proved  himself  by  this  test 
case  a  public  benefactor.  Mr.  Munhall  says,  "  The 
course  I  pursued  is  the  only  way  to  wipe  out  such 
illegal  laws."  If  other  cities  would  follow  his  example, 
through  some  man  or  woman  who  is  a  friend  to  ani- 
mals, we  might  be  spared  the  yearly  slaughter  of  thou- 
sands in  some  of  our  large  cities. 

A  prominent  vivisector  in  Cleveland  has  urgently 
advocated  a  dog-pound  to  "  prevent  pet  animals  from 
straying  into  the  colleges,  and  it  would  give  the  latter 
a  regular  channel  through  which  their  material  might 
be  derived." 

Every  day  in  our  cities,  there  are  scenes  which  would 


408       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

not  be  tolerated,  if  we  witnessed  them.  Dogs  loved  and 
petted  by  many  a  child,  noble  creatures  who  would  die 
to  protect  their  owners,  are  terrified  by  having  a  net 
thrown  over  them,  or  a  lasso,  and  dragged  along  the 
street,  thrown  by  dog-catchers  into  wagons,  hurried 
off  to  pounds  or  shelters,  and  killed  by  gas  or  poison, 
or  drowning. 

A  lady  in  St.  Louis  had  her  little  black-and-tan  dog 
seized  and  carried  to  the  city  pound,  last  August. 
When  she  reached  the  pound  the  trembling  creature 
did  not  know  her  or  her  little  boy.  The  heat  of  the 
place  was  intense  and  there  was  no  ventilation.  The 
big  dogs  had  killed  some  of  the  little  ones,  whose  sides 
were  torn  open,  and  trampled  them  under  foot.  The  sad 
owner  carried  home  her  dog,  called  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon, but  her  pet  soon  died  from  the  fright  and  brutal 
treatment  he  had  received. 

The  dog-license  fee  in  St.  Louis  is  three  dollars 
for  each  dog,  and  if  unlicensed  he  is  caught  and  after 
four  days  "  smothered  to  death  by  chemicals." 

In  an  Eastern  town  recently,  a  man  seventy-five 
years  of  age,  having  a  little  dog  which  had  no  collar  on, 
was  knocked  down  by  a  dog-catcher  who  attempted  to 
seize  the  animal.  When  the  catcher  was  about  to  be  ar- 
rested for  bruising  the  old  man  and  tearing  his  clothes 
(his  beloved  little  dog  was  lost)  the  constable  was  at- 
tacked by  him  with  a  steel  chain.  Does  it  not  matter 
what  men  we  select  to  execute  even  brutal  laws  ? 

In  a  large  Western  city,  a  lady  writes  me  that  the 
unlicensed  dogs  are  gathered  up  in  summer — I  do  not 
know  what  the  method  is  in  winter — put  in  a  pen  where 
they  remain,  usually  without  food  or  water,  two  days 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  409 

in  the  burning  sun,  and  then,  while  scores  of  anxious 
boys  are  peering  through  the  knot-holes  in  the  high 
board  fence  surrounding  the  pound,  men  with  big  clubs 
knock  the  shrinking  and  frightened  creatures  on  the 
head,  each  knowing  that  his  turn  to  be  murdered  will 
come  soon.  If  these  dogs  were  really  homeless,  and 
liable  to  abuse  on  the  street,  there  might  be  some  excuse 
for  gathering  them  up,  but  even  then  they  should  be 
provided  with  a  "  Home,"  in  a  Christian  city,  and  not 
killed.  However,  in  large  measure,  they  are  simply  un- 
licensed, and  not  to  blame  because  the  fee  has  not  been 
paid  by  a  poor,  or  perhaps  negligent  owner.  The  ani- 
mals when  seized  are  often  playing  before  their  own 
homes  with  some  child  who  loves  them. 

A  writer  in  the  Journal  of  Zoophily,  September, 
1897,  thus  describes  the  Dog  Pound  in  New  Orleans  at 
that  time: 

"  The  situation  there  is  intolerable.  The  dogs  are 
lassoed,  thrown  into  dirty,  unwholesome  quarters,  kept 
forty-eight  hours,  either  without  food  or  fed  on  bread 
green  with  mold;  their  water  is  covered  with  a  thick 
green  slime.  Dead  dogs,  injured  in  the  catching  or 
dying  of  sickness,  lie  around  in  the  pen,  and  to  crown 
all,  when  the  time  comes,  they  wait  their  turn  to  be 
knocked  in  the  head.  Mrs.  Ledoux  says  they  huddle 
against  the  farthest  wall,  and  with  such  looks  of  terror 
and  with  such  frenzied  expressions  as  she  never  saw 
elsewhere  except  among  maniacs  in  an  asylum." 

Of  course  one  of  the  chief  reasons  adduced  for  li- 
cense is  a  revenue  for  the  city,  or  the  Humane  Society. 
In  1898  the  Cleveland  Humane  Society,  needing 
money,  tried  to  obtain  through  the  legislature  a  dog- 


41  o       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

license  law,  but  was  not  successful.  One  of  the  most 
prominent  judges  in  the  city  wrote  me :  "  I  have  been 
pretty  well  informed  that  the  dog-license  law  will  not 
pass  the  legislature  on  account  of  its  question  of  con- 
stitutionality. I  am  glad  to  think  that  the  poor  dogs 
and  poor  people  who  take  comfort  in  them,  are  shielded 
by  the  great  constitution  of  the  state  of  Ohio. 

*  *  *  I  do  not  believe  in  the  bill  at  all.  It  is  in- 
human, and  the  idea  of  a  Humane  Society  entering 
upon  such  a  '  slaughter  of  the  innocents  '  is  repugnant 
to  the  purposes  of  the  society  itself.  Our  Humane  So- 
ciety is  one  of  the  best  institutions  in  the  city,  but  it 
would  seem  to  me  that  funds  ought  to  be  raised  in 
some  other  way  than  through  a  law  which  would  re- 
sult in  destroying  thousands  of  these  companions  and 
guardians  of  children,  and  faithful  and  devoted  friends 
of  mankind." 

A  letter  lies  before  me  from  a  well-known  Ohio  man, 
who  has  sixty  dogs  in  his  kennels.  He  says :  '  I  love 
dogs — all  dogs — and  believe  that  they  have  all  a  right 
to  live,  and  that  no  law  is  a  just  one  that  allows  them 
to  be  killed  by  any  society  or  any  person.  I  believe  in 
humane  societies  for  the  good  they  do,  and  it  is  not 
good  they  do  when  they  destroy  the  life  of  any  dog 
or  other  animal,  unless  said  animal  has  been  hurt,  or  is 
diseased  and  cannot  live." 

One  of  the  old  arguments  that  license  is  necessary  to 
prevent  the  increase  of  dogs,  is  refuted  by  the  experi- 
ence of  Cleveland,  a  city  of  400,000  inhabitants.  There 
is  no  surplus  of  dogs  in  Cleveland  except  possibly  to  a 
few  persons  who  dislike  animals.  There  are  always 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  411 

some  homeless  creatures,  but  comparatively  few  where 
there  is  no  license. 

Whenever  a  tax  is  imposed,  some  dogs  will  be  turned 
upon  the  street,  because  many  owners  cannot  or  will  not 
pay  the  tax.  When  the  license  reaches  the  exorbitant 
sum  of  $7.15  for  female  dogs,  as  in  Hartford,  Conn., 
or  $5.00  as  in  Boston,  many  persons  who  would  gladly 
keep  a  dog  or  give  a  stray  animal  a  home,  find  it  well 
nigh  impossible  to  do  so. 

A  kind  woman  in  Boston  seeing  a  dog-catcher  run- 
ning after  a  homely  little  creature,  who,  frenzied  almost 
to  madness,  sought  refuge  in  her  cellar,  was  so  touched 
by  the  helplessness  of  the  lost  animal,  that  she  paid  the 
five  dollar  fee,  and  though  not  well  able  to  do  so,  has 
paid  it  for  some  years,  and  been  rewarded  by  a  remark- 
able devotion. 

What  use  for  a  license  law,  which  causes  all  this  suf- 
fering? Does  a  city  or  a  humane  society  need  a  rev- 
enue which  comes  from  the  death  of  devoted  animals? 

If  we  are  anxious  to  prevent  "  mad-dog  "  scares,  li- 
cense and  muzzling  are  not  the  remedies.  There  are 
not  so  many  supposed  cases  of  hydrophobia  in  Cleve- 
land as  in  places  where  the  license  law  is  enforced.  In 
Constantinople,  where  a  man  is  fined  $50.00  for  abus- 
ing a  dog,  and  not  allowed  to  kill  one,  hydrophobia  is 
said  to  be  unknown.  Fortunately  in  America  muzzling 
is  not  common,  as  most  people  know  it  is  harmful  and 
cruel,  the  dog  needing  the  open  mouth  for  perspiration 
as  well  as  breathing,  and  that  the  muzzle  promotes 
madness  rather  than  prevents  it. 

The  report  of  the  Home  on  Battersea  Park  Road, 


412      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

London,  for  1896,  says,  after  the  muzzling  order  of 
that  year,  about  700  dogs  were  gathered  up  each  day 
for  several  weeks.  "  From  morning  till  night  the 
Home  was  crowded  with,  not  only  dogs,  but  persons 
seeking  for  their  dogs.  All  day  long,  a  string  of  vans 
laden  with  dogs  might  be  seen  waiting  in  the  road  to 
discharge  their  burden.  In  addition,  police  constables 
were  constantly  arriving  on  foot  leading  three  or  four 
dogs  each."  Men  worked  till  midnight  and  even  one 
o'clock  at  the  Home,  and  came  again  at  six  in  the  morn- 
ing, for  the  destruction  of  these  blameless,  unmuzzled 
creatures.  What  a  picture  of  an  easily  passed  muzzling 
law,  with  little  thought  apparently  by  the  council  of 
the  misery  and  death  of  the  poor  victims! 

A  speaker  at  a  recent  meeting  in  London,  said  the 
Exchequer  receipts  showed  that  dog  licenses  produced 
in  the  year  1895-96  over  £500,000,  and  added,  "  Where 
shall  we  find  another  class  of  tax-payers  who  contribute 
so  largely  to  the  revenue  and  receive  so  little  in 
return  ?  " 

Arthur  Westcott  in  the  New  York  Tribune  quotes 
Dr.  Stockwell,  a  celebrated  authority  on  dog  diseases: 
" '  Distemper,  toothache,  earache,  epilepsy  and  the 
whole  class  of  nervous  diseases  to  which  dogs  are  sub- 
ject are  constantly  taken  for  rabies.  Personally,  after 
more  than  thirty  years'  experience  as  a  dog  owner  and 
student  of  canine  and  comparative  medicine,  I  have 
yet  to  meet  with  a  genuine  case  of  rabies  in  the  dog, 
and  of  some  scores  of  so-called  rabid  dogs  submitted 
to  me  for  my  inspection  I  have  found  one  and  all  to  be 
suffering  from  other  and  comparatively  innocent  dis- 
eases." 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  4 1 3 

"  This  is  not  by  any  means  an  uncommon  experience 
among  veterinary  surgeons.  In  the  spring  of  1897 
a  '  mad  dog '  scare  was  raised  in  London,  England, 
by  a  certain  class  of  people  who,  as  muzzle  manufac- 
turers, had  a  commercial  interest  in  raising  such  scares. 
They,  as  usual,  received  every  assistance  from  a  credu- 
lous public  and  a  sensational  press.  The  Board  of  Ag- 
riculture finally  took  the  matter  up,  and  issued  an  order 
to  the  effect  that  all  dogs  appearing  on  the  public  high- 
ways should  be  muzzled  tightly  with  a  wire-cage 
muzzle.,  invented  by  the  aforesaid  manufacturers.  Dur- 
ing the  first  three  months  of  the  scare  over  sixteen 
thousand  dogs  were  seized  in  the  streets  as  '  vagabond 
strays,'  and  not  a  single  case  of  rabies  was  discovered 
among  them." 

A  London  Journal  says :  "  There  are  two  men  who 
are  responsible  for  the  new  muzzling  order — Sir 
Everett  Millais  and  Mr.  Victor  Horsley.  Both  are 
theorists,  and  therefore  faddists;  and  both  are  licensed 
vivisectors.  It  was  entirely  at  the  bidding  of  the  twain 
that  Mr.  Long,  President  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture, 
issued  the  order  which  has  already  brought  a  hornet's 
nest  about  his  ears,  and  which  he  will  have  perforce, 
ere  Jubilee  Day,  to  repeal.  A  more  pitiful,  useless,  un- 
fair, silly,  and  above  all,  monstrous  measure,  was  never 
brought  forward — even  by  a  member  of  Parliament." 
Public  opinion  grew  so  strong  and  bitter  'against  the 
muzzling  order,  that  it  was  revoked  by  the  London 
City  Council,  October  27,  1899. 

The  feeling  is  so  wide  spread  against  muzzling  dogs, 
the  universal  testimony  of  dog  owners  being  that  it  is 
most  unhealthy,  irritating,  and  often  death-producing 


4i 4       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

to  animals,  that  it  is  allowed  but  in  few  states.  Hu- 
mane Societies  are  one  and  all,  opposed  to  it,  as  an  in- 
humane measure. 

Washington,  D.  C.,  has  a  muzzling  law  passed  June 
19,  1878,  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  that  still  remains 
unchanged. 

"  Section  7.  Whenever  it  shall  be  made  to  appear  to 
the  commissioners  that  there  are  good  reasons  for  be- 
lieving that  any  dog  or  dogs  within  the  District  are 
mad,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  commissioners  to  issue 
a  proclamation  requiring  that  all  dogs  shall,  for  a 
period  to  be  defined  in  the  proclamation,  wear  good, 
substantial  muzzles,  securely  put  on,  so  as  to  prevent 
them  from  biting  or  snapping;  and  any  dog  going  at 
large  during  the  period  defined  by  the  commissioners 
without  such  muzzle  shall  be  taken  by  the  pound- 
master  and  impounded,  subject  to  the  provisions  of 
section  3." 

This  cruel  law,  leaving  the  health  and  happiness  of 
all  the  dogs  in  Washington,  as  well  as  the  dog-owners, 
in  the  hands  of  three  commissioners,  was  enforced  for 
the  first  time  in  many  years,  from  December,  1899,  to 
June,  1900,  the  commissioners  "  believing  that  there 
was  a  mad  dog  or  dogs  in  the  District,"  being  so  in- 
formed by  the  Health  officer.  This  is  not  the  first  time 
that  too  much  power  has  been  given  into  the  hands  of 
one  man.  The  order  caused  the  most  intense  opposi- 
tion, and  large  public  meetings  were  held ;  it  was  shown 
that  dogs  had  become  sick  and  died,  and  lost  thei  sight 
or  gone  crazy  from  the  muzzle.  Senator  J.  H.  Gallin- 
ger  of  New  Hampshire,  a  well-known  physician, 
brought  the  matter  before  the  Senate  Commitiee.  "  I 


I.  IMPORTED  BLENHEIM  SPANIEL,  CHAMPION  ROLLO,  winner  of  156 
prizes, Downed  by  Miss  L.  C.  Moeran,  New  York  City.  —  2.  WHITE 
MALTESE  TERRIERS.  First  prize  winners  ;  pronounced  the  best  in 
America,  owned  by  Miss  Josie  Newman,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  415 

have  no  hesitancy,"  he  said,  "  in  saying  that  there  lias 
not  been  a  case  of  hydrophobia  in  the  District  this 
year,  last  year,  or  the  year  before,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  there  will  be  a  case  in  the  years  to  come.  *  *  * 
In  a  medical  experience  of  over  thirty  years  I  have 
never  seen  a  single  case,  and  I  have  heard  several  of 
the  best  known  physicians  of  the  country  make  the 
same  statement.  *  *  *  In  my  opinion  the  muz- 
zling order  is  absolutely  needless,  nonsensical,  and  un- 
warranted." 

Dr.  Charles  W.  Dulles  the  eminent  lecturer  on  the 
History  of  Medicine  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
says  of  hydrophobia  that  he  has  failed  "  after  sixteen 
years  of  investigation  to  find  a  single  case  on  record 
that  can  be  conclusively  proved  to  have  resulted  from 
the  bite  of  a  dog  or  any  other  cause."  In  the  Medical 
News,  June  22,  1895,  Dr.  Dulles  says  in  regard  to  the 
treatment  of  a  dog-bite :  "I  am  strongly  opposed  to 
the  practice  of  cauterizing  with  silver  nitrate.  I  have 
seen  and  treated  very  many  dog-bites,  and  have  not 
used  lunar  caustic  for  thirteen  years,  and  no  per- 
son that  I  have  treated  has  yet  developed  hydrophobia; 
so  that  the  mortality  of  those  treated  by  me  is  less  than 
that  of  those  treated  in  Pasteur  institutes.  My  treat- 
ment is  simply  thorough  surgical  cleaning  and  the  ap- 
plication of  a  simple  antiseptic  dressing  for  a  few  days, 
with  the  positive  assurance  that  there  will  be  no  danger 
of  any  disease." 

Dr.  Irving  C.  Rosse,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  in  a  paper  read  be- 
fore the  American  Neurological  Association,  Phila- 
delphia, June  3,  1896,  says,  "  In  Asia  Minor  and  in 
Constantinople,  the  home  of  pariah  dogs,  one  never 


4i  6       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

hears  of  hydrophobia.  The  secretary  of  the  Japanese 
Legation  in  Washington  tells  me  that  he  has  never 
heard  of  the  disease  in  Japan,  and  that  in  Korea,  with 
more  dogs  than  any  other  country  such  a  thing  as  hy- 
drophobia is  unheard  of.  In  London  with  its  five  and  a 
half  million  inhabitants,  but  one  case  was  reported  in 
1892."  Dr.  Dulles  finds  from  statistics  gathered  in  the 
United  States,  that  there  is  only  one  hydrophobia  case 
to  four  million  inhabitants.  Of  267  persons  in  the 
United  States  bitten  by  dogs  supposed  to  be  rabid,  he 
says,  only  eight  have  died. 

To  his  honor,  be  it  said,  one  of  the  Washington 
Commissioners,  Hon  Henry  B.  F.  Macfarland,  opposed 
the  muzzling  order.  "  It  is  evident,"  he  said,  "  that  in 
their  zeal  to  maintain  a  theory,  those  who  want  the 
dogs  muzzled  have  grossly  exaggerated  the  danger 
from  hydrophobia  and  rabies.  They  are  to  be  especi- 
ally condemned  when,  as  in  the  present  instance,  they 
are  caused  in  part  by  pride  in  a  theory,  and  by  cupport- 
ers  of  institutions  established  ostensibly  for  the  cure  of 
hydrophobia  in  the  name  of  humanity,  but  which  will 
not  treat  a  case  unless  the  payment  of  from  $100  to 
$150  at  least  is  forthcoming." 

The  Pasteur  treatment  is  believed  to  be  productive 
of  more  harm  than  good  by  many  of  the  best  physi- 
cians. Professor  Peter,  the  able  editor  of  the  French 
Medical  Journal,  says :  "  M.  Pasteur  does  not  cure  hy- 
drophobia— he  gives  it !  "  A  physician  describes  the 
system  as  the  "  inoculating  usually  wholly  uncontami- 
nated  human  beings  with  the  most  terrible  virus  known 
to  science — to  wit,  that  of  hydrophobia."  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  Pasteur  advocates  admit  that  only 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  417 

from  five  to  ten  per  cent,  of  the  persons  bitten  by  a 
really  rabid  animal  have  hydrophobia  with  no  treat- 
ment whatever.  How  foolish  then  the  common  fear 
about  dog  bites.  I  have  been  bitten  three  or  four 
times,  and  would  never  allow  cauterizing  as  have  many 
of  my  friends. 

Mr.  Al.  G.  Eberhart  of  Cincinnati,  says ;  "  I  have 
been  bitten  by  dogs  over  a  hundred  times  in  my  life  and 
carry  scars  now  that  I've  had  for  twenty-five  years. 
Some  of  the  so-called  mad  dogs  have  bitten  me,  but  yet 
I  am  not  mad.  Had  I  been  nervous  and  easily  scared 
I  would  very  likely  have  been  buried  long  ago." 

Even  if  there  be  such  a  disease  as  hydrophobia, 
which  is  probably  mistaken  for  blood-poisoning  in 
man  (the  thorn  of  a  rose,  the  prick  of  a  pin,  the 
point  of  a  lead-pencil  have  all  caused  blood-poisoning) 
or  rabies,  mistaken  for  distemper  or  epilepsy  in  ani- 
mals, it  does  not  seem  to  be  found  among  the  home- 
less and  unlicensed  dogs,  which  are  killed  from  the 
cruel  supposition  that  they  especially  are  dangerous. 
Dr.  Matthew  Woods  of  Philadelphia,  says :  "  At  the 
Philadelphia  dog  pound,  where,  on  an  average,  over 
6,000  vagrant  dogs  are  taken  up  annually,  and  where 
the  catchers  and  helpers  are  frequently  bitten,  not  one 
case  of  hydrophobia  has  occurred  during  its  entire  his- 
tory, of  twenty-five  years,  in  which  time  about  1 50,000 
dogs  have  been  handled."  The  testimony  of  the  offi- 
cials at  the  dog  shelter  in  New  York,  where  thousands 
are  taken  up  each  year,  is  identical  with  the  above. 
Among  the  several  thousand  dogs  killed  after  the 
Washington  muzzling  order  was  enforced,  not  one  was 
found  having  rabies. 


4i 8       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

Chicago  has  a  law  giving  the  mayor  power  to  muzzle 
dogs  when  he  "  shall  deem  it  necessary."  Such  a  law 
should  be  repealed.  Massachusetts  by  Public  Statute 
says,  "  The  mayor  and  aldermen  of  a  city  or  the  select- 
ment  of  a  town  may  order  that  any  dog  or  dogs  within 
the  limits  of  such  city  or  town  respectively  shall  be 
muzzled."  An  attempt  to  muzzle  dogs  in  Boston  was 
made  by  some  who  disliked  animals,  but  the  better  sen- 
timent was  aroused  by  the  S.  P.  C.  A.  and  the  cruel 
plan  was  thwarted. 

In  the  evidence  given  before  the  select  committee 
of  the  House  of  Lords  to  investigate  hydrophobia  in 
man  and  rabies  in  animals,  it  was  declared  by  Surgeon 
General  Gordon  that  "  muzzling  would  be  an  evil 
rather  than  a  good."  Mr.  J.  Rowe,  President  of  the 
Veterinary  Medical  Society  of  London  said,  "  Muz- 
zling is  useless;  even  if  a  rabid  dog  were  muzzled 
(which  he  would  not  be)  the  saliva  would  drop  from 
the  mouth."  Mr.  South,  F.  R.  C.  V.  S.,  said,  "  Any 
efficacious  muzzle  is  cruel  and  irritates  the  dog." 

In  Bavaria,  muzzling  was  in  force  in  Munich  for 
seven  years;  the  number  of  dogs  diminished  by  one 
half ;  that  of  persons  bitten  increased.  Dr.  Soudermann 
(formerly  an  advocate),  "  sums  up  strongly  against  the 
muzzle."  In  Denmark,  "  muzzling  is  no  longer  en- 
forced having  been  found  ineffective."  In  Austria, 
"  rabies  increased  largely  in  Vienna  after  muzzling 
was  introduced;  the  order  is  now  suspended." 

Our  Animal  Friends,  July,  1897,  has  this  about  mad 
dogs: 

i.  It  is  supposed  that  a  mad  dog  dreads  water.  It 
is  not  so.  The  mad  dog  is  very  likely  to  plunge  his 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  419 

head  to  the  eyes  in  water,  though  he  cannot  swallow  it 
and  laps  it  with  difficulty. 

2.  It  is  supposed  that  a  mad  clog  runs  about  with 
evidence  of  intense  excitement,    it  is  not  so.    The  mad 
dog  never  runs  about  in  agitation;  he  never  gallops; 
he  is  always  alone,  usually  in  a  strange  place,  where  he 
jogs  along  slowly.     If  he  is  approached  by  a  dog  or 
man  he  shows  no  signs  of  excitement,  but  when  the 
dog  or  man  is  near  enough,  he  snaps  and  resumes  his 
solitary  trot. 

3.  If  a  dog  barks,  yelps,  whines,  or  growls,  that 
dog  is  not  mad.    The  only  sound  a  mad  dog  is  known 
to  emit  is  a  hoarse  howl. 

4.  It  is  supposed  that  the  mad  dog  froths  at  the 
mouth.     It  is  not  so.     If  a  dog's  jaws  are  covered  or 
flecked  with  white  froth,  that  dog  is  not  mad.     The 
surest  of  all  signs  that  a  dog  is  mad  is  a  thick  or  ropy 
brown  mucus  clinging  to  his  lips,  which  he  often  tries 
vainly  to  tear  away  with  his  paws  or  to  wash  away 
with  water." 

All  who  love  animals  should  be  thankful  for  the  in- 
creased interest  in  anti-vivisection  laws,  and  socie- 
ties. The  first  anti-vivisection  society  was  organized 
in  London,  1875,  with  the  Archbishop  of  York,  Lord 
Shaftesbury,  Frances  Power  Cobbe  and  others  among 
its  members.  Now  there  are  over  100  societies,  and  the 
number  is  rapidly  increasing.  Many  physicians  belong 
to  these  societies. 

Massachusetts  by  law,  prevents  vivisection  in  her 
public  schools,  and  other  states  should  follow.  So 
many  atrocious  experiments  are  made  on  animals  in  the 
name  of  science,  often  to  demonstrate  facts  already 


420       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Do? 

proved,  or  to  gain  notoriety,  that  there  is  no  question 
that  all  the  laboratories  of  the  land  and  medical  col- 
leges, should  be  open  to  properly  appointed  inspectors, 
such  inspectors  appointed  with  the  approval  of  our 
State  Humane  Societies. 

Dr.  Albert  Leffingwell  of  Aurora,  N.  Y.,  writes :  "  To 
cut  out  the  stomach  of  a  living  dog — the  infamous  ex- 
periment of  Megendie — I  have  seen  it  done  not  in  Eu- 
rope but  America.  To  cut  down  upon  the  spinal 
cord  of  a  dog  for  the  demonstrations  of  its  functions 
is  an  operation  which  Dr.  Michael  Foster  of  Cambridge 
University  has  never  seen  performed  from  horror  of 
the  pain.  Where  is  there  a  medical  college  in  America 
in  which  it  has  never  been  done?  To  freeze  rabbits  to 
death  before  a  class  of  young  men  and  young  women 
merely  to  illustrate  what  everyone  knew  in  advance — 
it  is  done  annually.  To  divide  the  most  acutely  sensi- 
tive nerve  in  the  whole  body  to  prove  what  nobody 
doubts — it  is  one  of  the  regular  experiments.  To  mu- 
tilate a  living  animal  so  severely  that  left  to  itself  death 
might  occur,  to  fasten  it  so  that  struggle  is  useless,  to 
set  in  operation  delicate  machinery  which  shall  cause 
it  to  breathe  by  artificial  force  and  so  keep  it  through 
a  long  night  of  terror  and  pain,  till  '  wan^d  '  for  the 
final  sacrifice  of  demonstration  before  students  on  the 
following  day — it  is  not  of  infrequent  occurrence  in 
American  laboratories." 

Dr.  Lefrmgwell  quotes  Dr.  Latour  who  said,  "I  re- 
call to  mind  a  poor  dog,  the  roots  of  whose  vertebral 
nerves  Magendie  desired  to  lay  bare,  in  order  to 
demonstrate  Bell's  theory,  which  he  claimed  as  his  own. 
The  dog,  mutilated  and  bleeding,  twice  escaped  from 


Cruel  Laws  About  Dogs  421 

the  implacable  knife,  and  threw  its  front  paws  round 
Magendie's  neck,  as  if  to  soften  his  murderer  and  ask 
for  mercy.  I  confess  I  was  unable  to  endure  that  heart- 
rending spectacle." 

We  do  not  have  to  go  out  of  the  state  of  Ohio  to 
learn  of  the  most  revolting  experiments  on  living  dogs ; 
"  paws  crushed,  tearing  out  the  nerves  of  the  fore- 
limbs,  various  nerves  stretched,  abdomen  opened, 
shoulders,  spinal  column  and  ribs  mutilated,  cutting 
the  sciatic  nerve,  pouring  boiling  water  on  the  intes- 
tines, etc."  Dogs  used  for  such  purposes  are  often 
stolen  pets,  some  depraved  men  wishing  to  earn  a  trifle 
for  liquor  by  their  sale,  or  homeless  creatures  that  need 
love  and  care  instead  of  torture. 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  our  surplus  animals?  "  is 
the  oft-repeated  question.  Repeal  the  license  laws,  let 
the  poor  keep  their  pets,  and  we  shall  have  few  surplus 
animals.  Every  family  is  better  for  having  some  pet 
animal  to  love.  Where  it  is  impossible  to  repeal  li- 
cense laws,  let  the  license  fees  be  given,  not  to  city  or 
humane  officials,  or  to  public  schools  to  teach  children 
kindness  to  animals,  or  publ'c  libraries  to  spread  knowl- 
edge, but  to  build  homes  or  find  homes  for  unlicensed 
animals.  For  the  really  homeless  dogs  and  cats,  let  us 
do  our  personal  share  in  caring  for  them,  and  let  homes 
be  provided  as  for  others  of  God's  helpless  creatures. 
When  we  find  a  homeless  animal,  let  us  advertise  it  in 
the  papers,  saying  that  we  will  give  it  to  a  good  home, 
and  then  take  pains  to  find  out  if  the  home  is  a  good 
one.  Let  agents  be  employed,  not  to  kill  homeless 
creatures,  but  to  seek  homes  for  them  as  we  do  for 
unfortunate  children.  A  philanthropic  woman  gave 


422       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

several  hundred  dollars  in  the  winter  of  1898  to  pro- 
vide food  for  homeless  dogs  and  cats  in  Boston,  and 
an  agent  was  hired  to  carry  out  her  noble  thought. 
We  give  to  hospitals,  to  libraries,  and  to  poor-houses. 
What  do  we  give  to  animals? 

Perhaps  our  legislatures  will  sometime  grant  money 
to  humane  societies  as  they  do  to  schools  and  libraries, 
for  the  elevation  of  the  people.  Helpless  children  and 
helpless  animals  as  well,  are  in  a  large  sense  the  wards 
of  the  state,  and  anything  to  better  their  condition 
should  receive  the  sympathy  and  aid  of  the  state.  The 
West  Virginia  S.  P.  C.  A.  has  obtained  from  the 
legislature  an  appropriation  of  $3,000  annually,  to  aid 
the  work  of  the  society. 

Let  the  Kennel  Clubs  or  Dog  Owners'  Protective 
Associations  obtain  laws  making  the  dog  "  property  " 
so  that  nobody  has  a  right  to  kill  him,  any  more  than 
a  man's  horse  or  cow,  and  then  test  the  license  law  in 
the  courts.  The  question  of  revenue  from  dependent 
creatures  who  look  to  us  for  safety  and  protection, 
and  killing  them  by  the  tens  of  thousands  because  the 
money  is  not  paid,  or  because  they  are  homeless,  and  we 
wish  to  shirk  responsibility  and  care,  is  unworthy  a 
Christian  people.  Each  day  the  dreadful  work  goes 
on.  While  we  walk  in  the  sunshine  and  enjoy  per- 
chance homes  of  luxury,  the  dog-catchers  with  their 
wagons  are  carrying  the  terrified  friends  of  man  to 
pounds  or  so-called  shelters,  and  to  death. 

Let  us  forever  oppose  a  license  law  for  cats,  which 
would  mean  thousands  turned  homeless  into  the 
streets,  and  tens  of  thousands  killed. 


NORNA,  DEERHOUND  (value,  $5,000),  with  children  of  the  owner, 
Mr.  W.  D.  Griscom,  Philadelphia,  Fa.  Holder  of  the  United  States 
championship  for  several  years. —  2.  SCAMP,  DEERHOUND  (value, 
$5,000),  owned  by  Von  H.  G.  G.  Pickering,  Minnedosa,  Manitoba, 
winner  of  many  first  prizes. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
How  to  Care  for  Animals 

rREAT  them  with  kindness.  William  Youatt, 
the  noted  writer  on  dogs,  says,  "  Harshness  of 
manner  and  unkind  treatment  will  evidently 
aggravate  many  of  their  complaints.  I  have  sometimes 
witnessed  an  angry  word  spoken  to  a  healthy  dog  pro- 
duce instant  convulsions  in  a  distempered  one  that  hap- 
pened to  be  near;  and  the  fits  that  come  on  spontane- 
ously in  distemper,  almost  instantly  leave  the  dog  by 
soothing  notice  of  him."  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
the  milk  of  cows  who  are  treated  harshly  even  by  words 
is  made  feverish  and  less  wholesome,  while  canary  birds 
have  fallen  dead  in  their  cages  from  a  command  to 
stop  singing.  Animals  love  to  be  praised  and  com- 
mended, as  much  as  people  like  it. 

Only  persons  of  small  intelligence  or  much  vanity, 
are  eager  to  show  how  easily  they  can  govern  their  child 
or  their  dog.  Years  ago  an  old  sailor  said  to  me, 
when  he  saw  me  walking  with  my  St.  Bernard,  "  Don't 
ever  whip  that  dog,  Madam,  or  you  will  spoil  her," 
and  I  carefully  obeyed  his  good  suggestion.  Another 
once  whipped  her  because  she  would  not  follow,  and  the 
great,  noble  creature  never  forgot  it  and  could  never 
be  induced  to  follow  the  person  a  step  afterwards.  I 
once  saw  a  professing  Christian  man  whip  his  dog, 


424      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  his  influence  with  me  was  destroyed  thereby. 
There  are  so  many  ways  of  gentle  correction,  that  the 
lash  seldom  or  never  benefits  child  or  dog.  The  man 
who  strikes  his  horse  three  times  with  a  whip  is  arrested 
in  Norway  and  Sweden.  It  would  be  a  wise  law  in 
America.  A  man  who  will  kick  a  horse  or  a  dog  is  of 
course,  no  gentleman,  and  deserves  the  scorn  which  he 
usually  receives,  or  the  stern  hand  of  the  law.  One 
can  easily  judge  what  kind  of  master  a  dog  has  when 
the  devoted  animal  cringes  at  his  feet. 

"  Flogging  hounds  in  the  kennel,"  says  Youatt,  "  the 
frequent  practice  of  too  many  huntsmen,  should  be 
held  in  utter  abhorrence.  .  .  A  young  foxhound 
may  possibly  mistake  the  scent  of  a  hare  for  that  of  a 
fox,  and  give  tongue.  In  too  many  hunts  he  will  be 
unmercifully  flogged  for  this,  and  some  have  almost 
died  under  the  lash.  Mercy  is  a  word  totally  unknown 
to  a  great  proportion  of  whippers-in,  and  even  to  many 
who  call  themselves  gentlemen." 

Cropping  or  cutting  the  ears  of  a  dog  is  very  pain- 
ful, sometimes  causes  deafness,  is  called  cruel  by  vet- 
erinarians, and  is  now  disallowed  by  Kennel  Club 
rules. 

"  A  spayed  (ovaries  removed)  or  castrated  dog  can- 
not win  a  prize  on  the  bench,"  says  Professor  Wesley 
Mills  of  McGill  Unversity.  Montreal,  and  he  adds. 
"  The  author  would  not  allow  any  dog  he  owned  to  be 
thus  operated  on,  and  he  hopes  the  time  is  not  far 
distant  when  every  reputable  veterinary  surgeon  will 
take  the  same  views  of  the  case,  and  absolutely  refuse  to 
run  the  risk  of  destroying  the  dog  as  a  dog  merely  to 
gratify  the  whim  of  some  owner  who  wishes  to  shirk  his 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  425 

responsibility."  Dr.  J.  W.  Hill,  of  England,  Fellow  of 
the  R.  C.  V.  S.,  says  these  operations  cause  "  loss  of 
energy,  physical  strength,  and  acuteness  of  the  senses," 
and  are  "  inhuman  and  useless." 

The  late  Dr.  Edward  Mayhew,  member  of  the  Royal 
College  of  Veterinary  Surgeons,  in  his  book,  "  Dogs, 
their  management,"  partly  rewritten  by  Dr.  A.  J. 
Sewell,  Canine  Surgeon  to  Queen  Victoria  and  the 
Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  urged  that  dogs  be  not 
ridiculed.  "  They  understand,"  he  said.  "  much  more 
than  men  choose  to  give  them  credit  for.  Their  pride 
is  enormous  and  through  this  feeling  they  are  easily 
moved.  Laughter,  when  directed  against  himself,  no 
dog  can  endure,  and  the  slightest  reprimand  is  always 
answered  by  an  immediate  change  of  aspect." 

Some  persons  wrongly  punish  a  dog  for  barking, 
when  that  is  his  only  way  to  tell  the  approach  of  a 
stranger,  or  to  guard  the  house  and  the  people  he  loves. 

Do  not  chain  a  dog,  or  keep  him  tied  up.  Professor 
Mills  says  in  his  book,  "  The  Dog,"  "  To  keep  any  dog 
constantly  chained  is  simply  downright  cruelty.  The 
yard  should  always,  when  at  all  possible,  allow  of 
moderate  exercise  and  freedom.  Even  with  the  free- 
dom such  circumstances  permit,  every  dog  should  be 
introduced  daily,  weather  permitting,  to  the  larger  out- 
side world,  for  change,  to  develop  his  intelligence  and 
to  stimulate  him  to  greater  efforts  and  attainments. 
To  lead  a  dog  out  by  a  chain  is  better  than  no  exercise 
at  all,  but  it  is  at  best  but  a  poor  substitute.  .  .  . 
Dogs,  like  other  animals,  indeed  much  more  so  than 
most  others,  require  exercise  to  keep  them  in  health." 
A  dog  should  not  run  with  a  bicycle.  In  summer  he 


426       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

becomes  overheated,  runs  too  fast,  and  is  often  ruined 
and  not  infrequently  killed  by  it. 

Yet  this  cruel  practice  of  chaining  is  seen  in  both 
city  and  country.  The  dog  generally  becomes  vicious 
in  consequence,  or  unhealthy,  and  certainly  unhappy. 
"  We  can  ruin  the  best  temper  in  the  world,  if  we  try 
hard  enough,"  says  Miss  Kendall  in  her  "  Witchcraft 
of  To-day,"  "  and  I  know  of  no  way  that  will  accom- 
plish this  as  effectually  as  a  chain  and  kennel." 
The  excuse  usually  given  is  that  we  "  have  no  time  to 
take  an  animal  out  for  exercise."  We  have  time  for 
much  useless  shopping,  for  idle  conversation,  many 
unnecessary  calls,  much  inconvenient  ceremony  of  liv- 
ing, much  overdressing,  much  lazy  lounging,  eupho- 
niously called  "  rest."  If  we  used  our  time  as  we 
ought,  there  is  enough  and  to  spare,  for  all  our  needs. 
We  waste  it  more  prodigally  than  money. 

Wash  and  brush  dogs.  A  good  bath,  not  too  warm, 
if  properly  taken,  is  as  refreshing  to  a  dog  as  to  a  per- 
son. He  will  often  take  it  for  himself,  if  near  the 
water,  though  to  throw  him  in  and  thus  frighten  him, 
shows  the  lack  of  sense  of  the  owner.  "  The  dog," 
says  Dr.  R.  B.  Plageman  of  New  York,  in  his  "  House 
Dogs,  their  care  and  treatment,"  "  has  a  remarkable 
memory  and  does  not  forget  an  injustice  or  a  wrong 
done  him  as  long  as  he  lives."  Dr.  Plageman  thinks 
in  summer  a  bath  once  a  week  often  enough  for  any 
dog,  and  Dr.  John  Woodroffe  Hill,  of  England,  says, 
"  If  the  coat  is  regularly  brushed  and  combed,  once  a 
month  is  quite  sufficient.  Once  daily,  twice  if  possi- 
ble, I  have  all  my  dogs  thoroughly  groomed;  they 
enjoy  it,  the  sensation  affords  them  pleasure,  and  the 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  427 

dog  accustomed  to  the  practice  will  look  for  it  as  regu- 
larly as  he  does  his  meals." 

The  water  for  bathing  should  be  tepid,  some  cold 
water  being  put  upon  the  head  of  the  dog  before  the 
bath,  and  if  soap  is  used  it  should  be  thoroughly  rinsed 
out  of  the  hair,  as  it  is  apt  to  cause  irritation  of  the  skin. 
and  make  the  hair  harsh.  For  this  reason  many  pre- 
fer to  rub  the  dog  with  the  yolks  of  eggs,  and  then  wash 
thoroughly.  "  A  free  use  of  soap,"  says  Dr.  Mayhew, 
"  has  the  disadvantage,  especially  in  dogs  like  collies,  of 
removing  the  under  coat  which  is  so  much  thought  of." 
After  bathing  the  animal  should  be  rubbed  dry  with 
cloths;  especially  the  head,  neck  and  breast,  lest  he 
take  cold.  The  ears  should  be  carefully  cleaned  and 
dried,  as  water  left  in  may  produce  canker  and  that 
may  bring  on  deafness. 

"  As  to  the  matter  of  soaps,"  says  Dr.  Plageman, 
"  use  white  castile.  Carbolic  and  other  strongly  medi- 
cated soaps  are  dangerous  to  use  on  dogs,  and  their 
use  should  be  discouraged.  There  are  many  so-called 
'  dog  soaps  '  and  '  flea  soaps  '  which  should  never  be 
used  on  a  dog."  Dr.  Mayhew  says,  "  Puppies  are 
frequently  killed  through  be'ng  washed  with  strong 
carbolic  soap  (five  per  cent.)."  Cats  are  not  infre- 
quently killed  in  the  same  way.  Miss  Helen  M.  Wins- 
low,  in  her  book,  "  Concerning  Cats,"  says,  "  Carbolic 
acid  has  a  particularly  bad  effect  on  cats,  and  should 
never  be  used  around  them  in  any  way.  Cats  have  been 
known  to  die  of  paralysis  brought  on  by  the  use  of  car- 
bolic soap."  "  A  bath  in  carbolic  acid  though  well 
diluted,"  says  Dr.  Mayhew,  "  often  has  a  bad  effect, 
even  though  the  dog  has  not  been  allowed  to  lick  him- 


428       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

self,  as  it  becomes  absorbed  into  the  system  by  the 
skin." 

What  shall  he  eat?  "  Change  is  at  the  foundation  of 
life  itself,"  says  Professor  Mills,  "  and  must  be  recog- 
nized by  all  who  would  understand  the  management  of 
dogs."  Most  persons  advocate  two  meals  each  day, 
morning  and  night,  especially  for  small  dogs,  and  vari- 
ety in  these  is  as  necessary  as  for  people.  Professor 
Mills  says,  "  To  feed  a  dog  but  once  a  day  during  the 
severe  weather  seems  little  short  of  cruelty  in  the  larger 
proportion  of  cases."  He  thinks  beef  and  mutton  the 
best  meat  for  dogs,  well-cooked,  as  half-cooked  food 
destroys  the  stomach  as  easily  as  in  man.  Raw  flesh,  at 
long  intervals,  in  small  quantities,  acts  as  a  tonic.  Dog 
biscuits  are  recommended  for  some  meals,  especially  in 
the  morning,  not  by  any  means  constantly,  although  so 
advertised,  and  soup  with  vegetables  and  meat,  or 
bread,  or  rice,  and  now  and  then  bread  and  milk.  Dr. 
Hill  says  an  animal  should  eat  until  he  is  satisfied,  un- 
less he  has  been  previously  starved.  Cats  are  very  fond 
of  vegetables  and  should  be  given  corn,  asparagus,  and 
the  like,  often.  Dr.  Mayhew  says  the  meat  should  be 
cooked  fresh  every  day,  as  "  nothing  upsets  a  dog 
more  than  stale  food,"  and  that  boiled  fish,  the  bones 
having  been  removed,  is  good  for  both  dogs  and  cats. 
All  their  dishes  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean,  both 
for  drinking  and  eating. 

While  overfeeding  and  lack  of  exercise  will  produce 
skin  disease,  says  Dr.  Mayhew,  the  same  is  produced  by 
"  improper  feeding,  such  as  keeping  a  dog  on  a  milk 
and  oatmeal  diet,  or  debarring  him  entirely  from  meat." 
Cats  also  should  have  cooked  meat  once  a  day,  says 


CHAMPION  LOKI,  PUG  DOG,  value  $5,000,  winner  of  fifty  prizes 
bred  and  owned  by  Mr.  Al.  G.  Eberhart,  Camp  Dennison,  O. — 
2.  L'AMBASSADOR  II.,  BULLDOG,  value  $5,000,  winner  of  many 
prizes,  owned  by  Mr.  Eberhart.  —  3.  CHAMPION  VALENZA,  ITALIAN 
GREYHOUND,  always  a  prize  winner,  owned  by  Dr.  F.  H.  Hoyt, 
Sharon,  Pa. 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  429 

Harrison  Weir,  the  noted  artist.  A  lady  who  has 
large  cat  kennels  at  South  Weymouth,  Massachusetts, 
gives  bread  and  milk  in  the  morning,  meat  with  oatmea. 
and  gravy  at  noon,  and  warm  milk  at  night.  Raw 
meat  occasionally  does  not  harm  cats  any  more  than 
mice  for  food,  but  is  not  good  for  kittens.  Miss  Wins- 
low  suggests  that  cats  like  butter,  and  a  half-teaspoon 
ful  now  and  then  is  good  for  them. 

Mr.  Al.  G.  Eberhart,  who  has  large  kennels  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  feeds  his  dogs  biscuit  in  the  morning,  gen^ 
erally,  and  beef  and  mutton  at  five  o'clock,  cut  fine  in 
a  large  sausage  machine.  After  the  supper  the  dogs 
have  bones,  but  not  before,  as  contrary  to  the  belief  of 
some  economical  persons,  dogs  and  cats  cannot  live 
on  bones.  All  dogs  must  be  able  to  find  and  eat  grass 
occasionally.  It  is  as  necessary  as  catnip  to  keep  cats 
in  health.  "  Puppies,"  says  Dr.  Mayhew,  "  before 
six  weeks  of  age,  should  be  fed  five  times  a  day,  and 
afterwards  four  times  during  the  twenty-four  hours 
until  three  or  four  months  old,  and  then  until  six 
months  of  age  thrice  daily."  The  milk  should  be  boiled 
or  scalded,  or  lime  water  used  with  it,  and  often 
thickened  with  rice  or  bread  or  oatmeal.  Soup  with 
vegetables,  carrots,  turnips,  potatoes,  beets,  etc.,  is  a 
nourishing  change  for  them.  Sometimes  a  little  finely- 
cut  cooked  meat  is  added.  For  toy  dogs  eggs  are 
useful  instead  of  too  much  meat.  Soft-boiled  eggs  are 
excellent  for  cats. 

Give  plenty  of  water.  Dr.  Hill  says,  "  There  are 
few  animals  to  which  the  denial  of  water  is  felt  to  a 
greater  degree  than  the  dog."  A  bowl  of  water,  al- 
ways clean,  must  be  kept  night  and  day  where  they 


430       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

can  at  any  time  obtain  it.  I  know  several  good  women 
who  keep  water  in  buckets  or  pans  or  earthen  jars, 
and  food  also,  that  stray  animals  may  have  the  drink 
which  they  crave,  and  cannot  always  obtain.  All  drink- 
ing fountains  for  people,  should  have  a  side  cup  for 
dogs.  The  amount  of  water  which  they  need  is  sur- 
prising. 

Where  shall  they  sleep?  "  If  you  have  only  one  or 
two  dogs,"  says  Mr.  Eberhart,  "  your  own  house  is 
none  too  good  or  suitable  a  place  for  them  to  sleep  at 
night,  and  their  access  to  the  house  during  the  day  is 
all  right,  for  a  thoroughly  \vell-b6haved  dog  is  a  most 
desirable  companion  to  have  around  for  company,  and 
especially  at  night,  for  any  dog  is  liable  to  prove  of 
great  value  or  assistance  in  case  of  burglars  or  unwel- 
come visitors."  Where  people  are  so  neat  that  they 
cannot  have  a  dog  in  the  house,  one  may  be  sure  that 
such  persons  are  not  Sir  Walter  Scotts,  or  Bismarcks, 
or  Sir  Edwin  Landseers  or  Queen  Victorias,  who  all 
have  kept  dogs  in  their  homes. 

I  have  known  professedly  Christian  people  who  put 
a  dog  or  a  cat  out  of  doors  at  night  in  the  winter, 
trusting  that  Providence  will  direct  them  to  some- 
body's shed  or  barn,  even  if  there  is  not  such  a  building 
within  half  a  mile.  In  summer  nights  cats  are  put  out 
to  be  devoured  by  dogs,  sensible  women  even  asserting 
that  a  cat  can  take  care  of  herself,  which  is  not  true. 
The  number  of  cats  killed  by  dogs  proves  that  this 
remark  is  made  simply  to  ease  our  consciences.  I  have 
known  a  lady  in  a  large  city  solemnly  assert  that  a  cat 
would  run  up  a  tree  and  save  herself,  when  there  were 
only  brick  walls  and  stone  pavements  about  her,  and 


How  to  Care  for  Animals 


431 


no  tree  within  two  or  three  miles.  Any  cat  can  be 
kept  neat  by  providing  her  with  a  tin  pan  of  sawdust 
or  sand  changed  daily;  not  a  wooden  box,  as  wood 
absorbs  moisture.  "  All  this  is  too  much  care,"  says 
someone.  Those  persons  who  wish  to  lead  a  selfish 
life,  shirk  responsibility,  and  avoid  care,  are  scarcely 
fitted  for  this  earth  of  ours. 

Some  persons  profess  to  be  so  neat  that  they  would 
not  allow  a  cat  to  sleep  in  the  same  room  with  them. 
Miss  Winslow  tells  of  her  affectionate  cat,  "  Pretty 
Lady,"  who  "  kept  her  kitten  in  the  lower  drawer  of 
my  bureau.  When  he  was  large  enough,  she  removed 
him  to  the  foot  of  the  bed,  where  for  a  week  or  two 
her  maternal  solicitude  and  sociable  habits  of  nocturnal 
conversation  with  her  progeny  interfered  seriously  with 
my  night's  rest.  .  .  For  years  the  '  Pretty  Lady  ' 
ate  with  us  at  the  table.  Her  chair  was  placed  next  to 
mine,  and  no  matter  where  she  was  or  how  soundly 
she  had  been  sleeping,  when  the  dinner  bell  rang  she 
was  the  first  to  get  to  her  seat,  where  she  sat  patiently 
until  I  fixed  a  dainty  meal  in  a  saucer  and  placed  it  on 
the  chair  beside  her,  when  she  ate  it  in  the  same  well- 
bred  way  she  did  everything." 

Miss  Winslow  insists  that  all  the  kittens  at  birth 
should  never  be  taken  from  the  mother,  "  as  the  cat  is 
pretty  sure  to  have  milk  fever,"  and  often  dies  from  it. 

We  put  dogs  in  basements  to  sleep,  and  then  wonder 
why  they  have  rheumatism.  Or,  we  build  a  thin 
kennel,  perhaps  open  to  the  north,  scarcely  large  enough 
for  him  to  turn  around  in,  without  straw  or  other  bed- 
ding, and  while  he  shivers,  we  sleep  under  warm  blan- 
kets, in  a  good-sized  room,  and  feel  grateful  perchance 


432       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

for  our  blessings,  forgetting  that  we  are  to  care  for 
God's  creatures.  I  have  seen  St.  Bernard  dogs  in  such 
kennels  in  America,  the  excuse  being  made  that  their 
native  land  was  a  cold  one.  Such  people  seem  not  to 
know  that  animals  in  Switzerland  are  usually  housed 
with  the  peasants  themselves,  a  portion  of  the  house 
being  used  for  a  stable.  The  monks  at  the  St.  Bernard 
Pass  always  keep  these  life-saving  dogs  in  their  own 
warm  house,  cared  for  like  children. 

If  a  dog  has  a  kennel,  "  for  a  good-sized  dog,"  says 
Dr.  Mayhew,  "  the  covered  house  should  be  five  feet 
wide  and  eight  feet  deep,  the  roof  sloping  from  nine 
feet  at  the  back  to  seven  feet  in  front,  and  a  window 
situated  at  the  top  of  the  back  of  the  kennel,  swung  at 
the  bottom  so  that  the  kennel  can  be  well  ventilated 
and  the  dog  not  be  in  a  draught."  The  kennel  should 
be  light,  with  windows,  a  door  to  keep  out  the  cold, 
and  plenty  of  straw,  into  which  the  dog  can  make  a 
hole  for  himself,  and  thus  keep  warm.  The  kennel 
should,  if  possible,  be  open  toward  the  south,  for  dogs, 
as  well  as  people,  cannot  be  healthy  without  the  warmth 
and  light  of  the  sun.  "  A  dark  kennel,"  says  Professor 
Mills,  "  is  a  wretched  dog  prison,  unfavorable  alike  to 
health  and  canine  happiness.  The  walls  should  be 
thick,  filled  between  the  boards  with  sawdust,  and  cov- 
ered with  tar  paper  within." 

Cats  and  dogs  to  be  healthy  must  have  pure  air  and 
plenty  of  it.  Bad  air  soon  produces  disease.  Professor 
Mills  urges  that  all  places  where  animals  live  or  sleep 
"  be  aired  several  times  a  day  when  the  animals  are 
out,  by  the  doors  and  windows.  .  .  Apart  from  the 
vitiation  of  the -atmosphere  (by  their  pans  of  dirt  or 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  433 

sawdust)  there  is  that  more  fatal  poisoning  that  arises 
through  emanations  from  the  lungs  and  skin  of  the 
animals."  The  kennel  should  be  elevated  above  the 
ground,  so  that  dampness  will  be  impossible. 

A  noble  friend  of  mine,  one  of  the  neatest  house- 
keepers I  have  ever  seen,  provided  a  mattress  in  the 
house  for  her  Great  Dane  dog,  and  was  an  example  to 
her  neighbors  in  many  other  ways.  She  has  now  gone 
to  her  reward,  I  doubt  not  a  very  happy  one.  Bed-ticks 
filled  with  straw  keep  animals  from  cold,  and  are  easily 
made  at  little  cost  or  trouble. 

Common  remedies  for  disease.  Medicine  can  easily 
be  given  by  pulling  out  the  loose  flesh  or  cheek  from 
the  mouth  of  a  dog,  so  that  a  little  funnel  is  formed, 
into  which  pour  the  liquid,  with  a  spoon.  As  a  rule, 
the  less  medicine  given  the  better.  If  a  dog  or  cat  is 
very  ill,  a  veterinarian  should  be  called,  for  we  ought 
not  to  consider  it  a  waste  of  money,  to  spend  for  the 
dumb  creatures  who  love'  us,  or  indeed  for  anything 
that  is  suffering,  and  needs  our  care.  Better  go  with- 
out some  new  article  of  clothing,  and  help  the  helpless. 

Strong  medicines  are  probably  not  as  much  used  for 
man  or  beast  as  formerly.  Dr.  May  hew  says,  "  Mer- 
cury and  its  compounds  are  all  very  poisonous  to  dogs. 
Dogs  take  mercury  even  when  given  in  small  medicinal 
doses,  very  badly.  A  dose  of  calomel  that  would  be 
beneficial  to  a  person  would  in  many  cases  make  a  dog 
very  ill,  and  perhaps  prove  fatal."  Many  veterinarians 
will  not  give  calomel  in  any  case.  Professor  Mills 
says,  "  Dogs  are  peculiarly  liable  to  be  salivated,  or 
even  fatally  poisoned,  by  a  comparatively  small  dose 
of  calomel,  or  mercury  in  other  form,  .  .  .  nor 


434      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

is  it  safe  to  use,  in  most  cases,  mercurial  ointments." 
Turpentine  is  also  dangerous  for  dogs.  Youatt  says, 
"  The  common  mercurial  ointment  is  now  compara- 
tively little  used.  It  has  given  way  to  the  different 
preparations  of  iodine."  "  The  tincture  of  iodine  is 
often  used  to  remove  tumors  or  swellings,"  says  Dr. 
Mayhew.  "  It  seldom  has  any  beneficial  results,  ex- 
cept in  cases  of  goitre,  when  it  is  sometimes  useful," 
but  even  then,  he  says,  if  used  too  long  or  over  too 
large  a  space,  it  poisons  the  dog  by  absorption  through 
the  skin,  and  severe  constitutional  disturbance  results. 
Fleas.  I  have  known  cats  and  dogs  to  be  killed  by 
their  owners  either  because  they  could  not  or  would 
not  take  the  trouble  to  rid  their  animals  of  these  pests. 
A  good  washing  with  some  safe  disinfectant  used  in 
small  quantities,  or  safer  still  without  any,  will  so 
nearly  kill  them,  that  they  can  be  easily  crushed  be- 
tween the  thumb  nails.  "  There  are  many  powerful 
drugs  recommended  by  different  writers,"  says  Dr. 
Mayhew,  "  but  though  all  of  them  are  sufficiently  po- 
tent to  annihilate  the'  parasite,  most  of  them  are  also 
strong  enough  to  kill  the  dog."  He  says,  "  A  little 
powdered  camphor  rubbed  into  the  coat  will  mostly 
abate  and  often  eradicate  the  nuisance."  T  have  seen 
the  beautiful  black  coat  of  a  dog  turned  to  a  dirty 
brown  by  the  use  of  coal  oil,  cats  killed  by  carbolic  acid 
solutions,  and  kittens  killed  by  Persian  insect  powder, 
which  seems  generally  to  do  no  harm  if  applied  only  to 
a  portion  of  the  body  and  well  shaken  out  of  the  fur. 
Professor  Mills  says,  "  Nothing  but  watchfulness  and 
work "  will  keep  an  animal  free  from  these  pests, 
which  fortunately  never  pass  from  them  to  a  human 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  435 

being.  The  condition  of  some  dogs  and  cats  made  thin 
and  wretched  by  vermin,  is  a  great  discredit  to  their 
owners.  A  red  cedar  box  to  lie  in  or  sleep  in  is  said 
to  be  a  preventive  from  fleas,  as  they  detest  this  wood. 

A  lady  suggests  that  one  drop  of  pennyroyal  rubbed 
in  the  fur,  or  a  string  dipped  in  the  pennyroyal  extract 
and  tied  about  the  cat's  body  will  drive  away  fleas. 

Worms.  Dr.  Plageman  says,  "  Worms  and  distem- 
per kill  more  young  dogs  than  all  the  other  diseases 
put  together."  He  thinks  ninety  per  cent,  of  all  pup- 
pies are  infested  with  parasites,  and  it  is  probably  the 
same  with  kittens.  Worms  cause  fits,  colic,  vomiting, 
coughing,  etc. 

Simple  and  useful  remedies  are,  a  quarter  to  half  a 
teaspoonful  of  powdered  charcoal  in  the  milk,  or  food, 
once  or  twice  a  day,  occasionally;  a  little  powdered 
sulphur  now  and  then  smeared  on  the  forepaws  with 
lard  for  a  cat,  or  in  milk  for  a  dog;  a  little  wormwood 
tea  mixed  in  the  milk;  or  "  tea  made  from  hulled  pump- 
kin or  squash  seeds,  stewed  to  a  pulp  and  the  fluid 
poured  off,  given  in  teaspoonful  doses,"  says  Professor 
Mills. 

Some  doctors  recommend  from  half  a  grain  to  a 
grain  of  santonine  in  a  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil,  in 
the  morning,  half  an  hour  before  eating,  two  or  three 
times  a  week.  For  a  fox  terrier,  five  or  six  weeks  old, 
Professor  Mayhew  says,  give  half  a  grain  in  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  castor  oil;  for  collie,  same  age,  three- 
fourths  of  a  grain;  for  a  St.  Bernard,  same  age,  one 
grain.  Professor  Mills  recommends  areca  (betel) 
nut,  freshly  ground,  one  grain  to  the  pound  weight  of 
the  animal,  not  to  be  given  to  a  dog  under  five  or  six 


436       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

weeks  old.  The  danger  always  is  that  the  dose  of 
medicine  will  be  too  large.  Better  use  half  the  quan- 
tity suggested  than  an  overdose.  Authorities  differ 
about  areca  nut,  as  about  other  medicines,  some  claim- 
ing that  it  is  harmless,  others  that  it  makes  the  animal 
sick,  is  dangerous,  and  never  to  be  given.  It  must  be 
used  with  castor  oil. 

Fits.  These  are  convulsive  movements  of  the  body 
caused  by  worms,  sudden  fear,  undue  excitement,  over- 
heating, indigestion,  constipation,  distemper,  exhaus- 
tion from  nursing  their  young,  and  sometimes  from 
overfeeding  of  meat  to  young  animals.  Miss  Winslow 
says,  "  Half  the  fits  which  cats  have  are  caused  by  indi- 
gestion. In  all  cases  their  meat  should  be  cut  fine."  I 
once  had  a  large  pet  cat  who  always  enjoyed  walks 
with  me  and  my  dogs.  I  soon  found  that  if  the  walk 
was  extended  beyond  a  short  distance,  the  cat  fell  on 
his  side  and  twitched  convulsively  while  foam  covered 
his  mouth.  The  natural  thing  is  for  the  animal,  half- 
frenzied,  to  run  away  the  moment  it  partially  recovers, 
and  perhaps  never  return.  I  always  took  the  cat  at 
once  in  my  arms,  put  a  little  cold  water  on  his  head  as 
soon  as  possible — never  plunge  an  animal  into  cold 
water — soothed  him  with  kind  words,  wrapped  him  in 
a  warm  shawl,  as  the  fit  lessens  the  vitality,  placed  him 
in  a  quiet,  darkened  room,  and  let  him  sleep  for  some 
hours.  There  is  little  danger  of  being  bitten,  and  if 
so  the  bite  is  not  poisonous.  I  have  seen  women  put  a 
little  cat  out  of  doors  on  a  winter's  night  because  it 
had  a  fit,  an  inhuman  thing  to  do,  or  run  away  from 
it  in  fright,  as  though  a  poor  helpless  creature  could 
bring  harm  to  any  one. 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  437 

Dogs  are  often  subject  to  fits,  and  if  on  the  street,  the 
cry  of  "  mad  dog  "  is  usually  raised,  and  the  innocent 
creature  is  run  after  by  a  crowd,  and  shot  by  some 
unskilled  policeman.  "  During  the  fit  nothing  can 
usually  be  done  but  to  prevent  the  animal  injuring  him- 
self as  far  as  possible,  and  from  escaping  when  deranged 
mentally,"  says  Professor  Mills. 

A  very  simple  remedy  for  fits  given  in  Pets  and  Ani- 
mals for  September,  1900,  is  to  smear  a  teaspoon ful 
of  castor  oil  on  a  cat's  forepaws,  and  he  will  lick  it  off, 
and  be  purged  thereby.  The  same  paper  says  of  hydro- 
phobia, that  men  who  have  cared  for  dogs  for  years 
have  not  known  a  single  case,  the  real  trouble  being 
worms,  apoplexy,  neuralgia,  or  the  like.  "  It  is  a 
known  fact  among  these  men  that  a  good  dose  of  castor 
oil  will  cure  a  large  per  cent,  of  '  hydrophobia  '  cases." 
In  chronic  cases  of  epilepsy  or  fits,  both  Dr.  Mayhew 
and  Professor  Mills  suggest  bromide  of  potassium,  the 
daily  dose  from  two  to  eight  grains  given  in  water, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  animal.  One  grain  may  be 
given  to  a  cat.  A  lady  cures  her  cat  by  putting  one- 
half  a  teaspoonful  of  bromide  of  potassium  in  a  half 
glass  of  water,  and  giving  a  teaspoonful  of  the  mixture 
once  an  hour.  She  thinks  a  pinch  of  sulphur  in  milk 
"  a  sovereign  remedy  for  all  of  pussy's  ailments." 

Mange.  What  passes  for  mange  or  dog  itch  is  quite 
often  eczema,  which  is  very  common,  and  requires  a 
long  time  to  cure.  It  is  a  skin  disease  caused  usually 
by  overfeeding  or  underfeeding.  '  The  half-starved 
dog  is  very  liable  to  eczema,"  says  Professor  Mills. 
Mange  is  contagious,  but  Dr.  Mayhew  says  that  it  has 
not  been  proved  that  dogs  can  give  it  to  cats,  or  other 


438       Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

animals.  Eczema,  sometimes  called  red  mange,  is  not 
contagious.  The  blood  must  be  purified.  Epsom  salts 
once  a  week,  with  a  little  ginger  or  sugar  added,  or 
sulphur,  will  be  found  helpful.  Soothing  and  cooling 
lotions  may  be  applied;  a  little  sodium  carbonate  (wash- 
ing soda)  in  the  water  with  which  the  parts  are  bathed. 
Dr.  Mayhew  says,  "  The  treatment  of  mange  consists 
in  applying  agents  to  destroy  the  parasite,  and  the  only 
remedy  in  my  opinion  worth  mentioning  is  sulphur, 
mixed  with  some  excipient,  as  lard,  vaseline,  or  oil,  one 
part  sulphur  to  eight  parts  vaseline,  to  make  it  more 
easily  applied  to  the  skin.  The  sulphur  treatment  is 
most  effective;  and  however  much  the  dog  licks  the 
dressing  it  does  no  harm  beyond  acting  as  a  slight 
purge. 

'  There  are  numerous  other  remedies  recommended 
for  the  cure  of  this  disease,  such  as  the  different  prepara- 
tions of  mercury,  which  I  never  use  or  recommend,  as 
they  are  very  poisonous ;  also  the  different  preparations 
of  tar  and  its  products,  as  carbolic  acid  (also  very  poi- 
sonous for  dogs),  oil  of  tar,  etc.  .  .  For  short 
coated  dogs  I  always  use  the  ointment  made  with  vase- 
line, as  it  is  more  easily  worked  into  the  skin,  besides 
being,  in  my  opinion,  more  easily  absorbed  than  when 
made  with  lard.  For  dogs  with  long  thick  coats  the 
sulphur  is  best  mixed  with  vegetable  oil.  The  dressing 
should  be  used  every  other  day  for  a  week;  then,  after 
a  couple  of  days  or  so,  the  dog  should  be  thoroughly 
washed,  as  the  skin  cannot  perform  its  proper  functions 
when  filled  with  oil  continuously."  For  dogs  kept  in 
the  house,  he  says,  Balsam  of  Peru  may  be  mixed  with 
the  sulphur  instead  of  the  vaseline,  as  it  is  free  from 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  439 

grease.  I  know  a  lady  whose  cat,  when  seemingly 
past  help,  was  completely  cured  by  sulphur  and  lard 
rubbed  on  the  diseased  spots. 

Dr.  Hill  uses  for  eczema  a  liniment  composed  of 
oxide  of  zinc,  odorless  petroleum  oil,  a  little  oil  of  tar 
and  sulphur;  or  oxide  of  zinc  and  olive  oil  each  one- 
half  ounce;  or  arnica  tincture  two  drams  with  rose- 
water  seven  ounces,  the  latter  applied  two  or  three 
times  a  day. 

Mrs.  Mary  O.  Elster,  after  washing  a  dog  with  cas- 
tile  soap,  used  an  ointment  which  she  wrote  me  is  good 
"  on  all  sores  and  mangy  spots.  Take  fourteen  ounces 
of  vaseline,  one  ounce  zinc  (chemically  pure),  about  a 
teaspoonful  of  pine  tar  and  a  little  mutton  tallow. 
Warm  them  all  together  until  thoroughly  mixed.  It 
is  fine  for  man  or  beast." 

Diarrhoea.  Professor  Mills  recommends  a  dose  of 
castor  oil.  Dr.  Hill  says,  "  The  treatment  of  diar- 
rhcea  in  its  early  stages  is  exceedingly  simple.  A  mild 
dose  of  castor  oil  to  remove  the  irritant,  and  bland 
mucilaginous  food,  without  solids  will  generally  effect 
a  cure,  or  mutton  broth  thickened  with  rice,  or  barley 
water."  Miss  Winslow  says,  "  put  the  cat  in  a  warm 
room,  give  a  scant  half  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil,  and 
six  or  eight  hours  afterwards  repeat  the  dose,  with  two 
drops  of  laudanum  added  to  it.  Follow  up  this  treat- 
ment with  a  teaspoonful,  three  times  a  day,  of  chalk 
mixture,  with  half  a  drop  of  laudanum  in  each  dose." 

Distemper.  This  is  a  contagious  disease  somewhat 
like  influenza,  found  especially  among  young  dogs.  It 
is  known  usually  by  a  watery  discharge  from  eyes  and 
nose,  coughing,  vomiting,  diarrhoea,  loss  of  appetite  an<i 


44°      Our  Devoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

prostration.  The  twitching  of  chorea,  St.  Vitus's 
dance,  which  sometimes  follows,  is  due  to  the  effects 
of  the  poison  on  the  nervous  system,  and  from  this  a 
dog  is  not  likely  to  recover.  A  pretty  black  spaniel 
given  to  me  because  its  owner  could  not  pay  the  tax, 
after  the  tenderest  care  from  the  family  and  a  veterina- 
rian, eyes  and  nose  sponged  in  tepid  water,  feeding 
of  beef  tea,  eggs,  and  finely-cut  raw  beef,  died  of  this 
dreaded  disease.  It  is  best  to  give  a  simple  remedy  like 
sulphur  or  castor  oil,  keep  the  dog  warm  and  dry,  and 
properly  nourished,  and  call  a  doctor  to  your  aid  if 
careful  nursing  does  not  answer. 

Poison.  When  it  is  probable  that  a  dog  has  been 
poisoned,  a  drug  store  or  a  physician  may  not  be  at 
hand.  Some  of  the  simple  remedies  may  save  a  dog. 
If  strychnine  has  been  given  him,  which  may  not  take 
effect  for  nearly  an  hour,  he  has  convulsions,  the  limbs 
are  stiff,  the  fore  ones  thrown  forward  and  the  hind 
ones  backward.  After  this  spasm  he  sighs  and  pants, 
and  then  has  other  convulsions.  An  emetic  must  be 
given  at  once;  from  a  teaspoonful  to  a  tablespoonful  of 
salt  in  warm  water,  or  mustard  in  warm  water,  or  salt 
and  mustard  in  water,  baking  soda  in  water,  melted 
lard  or  butter  with  or  without  a  spoonful  of  mustard, 
boiled  milk  and  flour,  or  milk  with  the  beaten  white  of 
eggs,  or  a  quantity  of  warm  milk. 

Two  other  diseases  have  nearly  the  same  symptoms 
as  strychnine  poisoning,  epilepsy  and  parturient  eclamp- 
sia, the  latter  being  convulsions  when  nursing  their 
young.  A  much-prized  black  cat  of  mine  died  after 
her  four  black  kittens  were  three  days  old,  falling  on 
her  side,  and  panting,  till  death  ended  her  suffering. 


f.  BOSTON  TERRIER,  ESCAPE,  prize  winner,  owned  by  Mr.  A.  M. 
Sherwood,  Joliet,  III.  —  2.  NIG,  KING  CHARLKS  SPANIEL,  owned 
by  Mr.  Walter  Reppert,  Darlington,  Iowa. —  3.  AMERICAN  BLOOD- 
HOUND PUPPY,  owned  by  Mr.  H.  M.  Ramsay,  Houston,  Texas.— 
4.  WILLOUGHBY  PUG,  TRIP,  a  prize  winner,  owned  by  Miss  Ella 
E  Noble,  Santa  Barbara,  Cal. 


How  to  Care  for  Animals  441 

Arsenic,  or  "  Rough  on  Rats,"  which  is  mostly  ar- 
senic, produces  violent  sickness,  vomiting  marked  with 
blood,  labored  breathing,  and  sometimes  convulsions. 
I  knew  a  valuable  St.  Bernard  poisoned  by  being  in  a 
field  where  Paris  Green  (arsenic)  had  been  distributed 
to  kill  potato  bugs.  Salt  and  water  is  the  handiest 
emetic,  or  those  given  above,  or  magnesia  or  lime  water, 
or  powdered  charcoal. 

Professor  Mills  says,  "  Bromide  of  potassium  and 
chloral  hydrate  are  the  best  physiological  antidotes  in 
strychnine  poisoning.  Either  may  be  given  in  twenty- 
grain  doses  (some  doctors  say  from  five  to  ten  grains 
only,  and  inject  under  the  skin),  and  if  they  cannot  be 
administered  by  the  mouth  or  retained  in  the  stomach, 
they  should  be  injected  in  solution  in  only  a  small  quan- 
tity of  water.  .  .  Hypodermic  injections  of  chloral 
are  valuable,"  ten-grain  doses  in  water  every  twenty 
minutes,  for  an  hour  or  two. 

"  The  best  antidote  for  arsenic,"  says  Professor 
Mills,  "  is  the  hydrated  oxide  of  iron,  which  can  be 
quickly  prepared  by  adding  baking  soda  or  washing 
soda  to  diluted  tincture  of  iron  so  long  as  there  is  any 
effervescence,  that  is,  till  the  neutral  point  is  reached. 
This  may  be  given  freely,  from  a  teaspoonful  to  a 
tablespoonful  every  ten  or  fifteen  minutes.  When  the 
animal's  strength  is  failing,  aromatic  spirits  of  ammo- 
nia, carbonate  of  ammonium,  or  alcohol  in  repeated 
dose  by  mouth  or  rectum  are  demanded.  .  .  In  case  of 
stings  the  best  application  is  warm  water  and  ammonia." 

In  wounds  witch  hazel  or  arnica  will  take  out  sore- 
ness, and  iodoform  will  heal  quickly,  but  is  poisonous 
if  licked  by  the  animal. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
Our  Duty  to  Animals 

IT  is  only  a  few  years  comparatively  since  we  recog- 
nized the  duty  of  caring  for  a  homeless  child  by 
orphan  asylums,   or  the  aged  poor  by   institu- 
tions.    A   similar  duty  confronts   us   in  the  care  of 
homeless  animals.     To  see  a  stray  or  hungry  cat  or  dog 
on  the  street  and  pay  no  attention  to  it,  is  not  at  all 
in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  Christian  religion, 
or  the  growing  humanity  of  the  age. 

We  are  not  made  to  live  idly,  with  our  houses  too 
good  to  shelter  animals,  or  our  time  too  precious  to 
spend  in  caring  for  poor  creatures  in  the  world,  and 
depending  upon  us,.  Because  a  cat  or  dog  does  not 
belong  to  us,  we  are  not  thereby  excused  from  our  duty 
in  giving  it  food  and  shelter.  Because  we  do  not  want 
care,  and  do  not  like  to  give  food  to  the  hungry  and 
destitute,  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  do  so.  We 
do  not  live  to  do  as  we  like,  but  as  we  ought.  There  is 
no  true  living  or  happiness  that  has  not  duty  for  the 
foundation  stone. 

Parents  cannot  be  excused  for  allowing  their  chil- 
dren to  torment  dogs  and  roughly  handle  kittens  on 
the  plea  that  "  the  child  enjoys  it."  They  are  thus  fit- 
ting them  for  a  heartless  life,  and  a  cruelty  that  will 
probably  meet  its  just  reward. 

44? 


Our  Duty  to  Animals  443 

A  woman — it  does  not  seem  possible  that  a  mother 
could  do  such  a  thing — paid  a  boy  to  dispose  of  some 
kittens  a  few  weeks  old.  He  buried  them  alive,  the 
earth  being  so  shallow  over  them  that  they  were  found 
the  next  day  not  quite  dead.  My  sister  found  a  beauti- 
ful Maltese  kitten  put  on  the  car  tracks  to  be  killed, 
because  a  mother  had  told  her  little  boy  and  girl  to  do  it. 
Men  and  women  professing  Christianity  will  drop  cats 
in  a  strange  neighborhood,  never  stopping  to  realize 
that  they  probably  will  be  abused,  or  starve;  or  they 
will  spend  the  summer  at  the  seashore,  and  leave  cats 
to  die  of  starvation  in  the  snows  of  a  New  England 
winter,  or  to  perish  with  hunger  on  the  hot  pavements 
of  a  city  in  summer  during  their  absence. 

We  can  afford  good  clothes  and  food  for  ourselves, 
and  begrudge  the  food  and  care  given  to  a  homeless 
animal.  We  know  there  are  homeless  dogs  and  cats 
in  our  neighborhood  and  we  do  not  take  them  in. 

Miss  Winslow  says,  "  In  Geneva  cats  prowl  about  the 
street  like  dogs  at  Constantinople.  The  people  charge 
themselves  with  their  maintenance,  and  feed  the  cats 
who  come  to  their  doors  at  the  same  hour  every  day 
for  their  meals."  Are  we  in  America  less  Christian, 
and  less  humane  than  the  people  of  the  Old  World  ? 

I  am  sorry  for  the  child  that  is  brought  up  without  a 
pet,  or  having  one  is  not  taught  by  its  mother  to  be 
gentle  and  tender.  "  I  was  never  allowed  to  have  a 
dog  in  my  boyhood,"  said  a  man  to  me,  "  because  his 
feet  soiled  the  porches,  and  I  have  regretted  it  all  my 
life.  My  child  shall  have  one."  We  are  always  saying 
that  we  prefer  to  help  children  and  human  beings,  but 
those  who  help  animals  are  the  ones  who  help  children 


444      Our  Deyoted  Friend,  The  Dog 

and  the  aged.     We  excuse  ourselves  to  our  own  con- 
science, but  not  to  our  Maker. 

If  we  see  a  horse  overloaded,  or  with  sore  shoulders, 
or  abused,  we  should  not  hesitate  to  interfere.  Often 
a  little  money  is  wisely  given  when  we  urge  a  driver 
to  take  off  a  part  of  his  load  or  combine  his  team  with 
another.  Sometimes  a  driver  works  hard  as  well  as 
his  horses,  and  is  encouraged  by  a  little  gift,  while  he 
learns  a  lesson  of  kindness  at  the  same  time.  It  is 
astonishing  how  some  well-to-do  people,  even  profess- 
ing Christians,  will  sell  for  a  pittance  an  animal  which 
has  served  them  faithfully,  rather  than  to  feed  and  care 
for  it  as  long  as  it  lives. 

Humane  Societies  are  growing,  and  we  ought  to 
encourage  them  by  our  sympathy  and  our  money.  Our 
churches  and  our  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  will  do 
more  in  the  future  for  the  animal  world  than  in  the  past. 
We  shall  have  Hospitals  for  the  sick  and  Homes  for  the 
homeless,  not  where  they  may  be  killed,  but  kept,  and 
provided  as  far  as  possible,  with  homes  among  those 
who  should  do  their  part  of  the  world's  work.  Who 
gave  us  the  right  to  kill  that  which  we  do  not  wish  to 
care  for  ?  China  once  took  that  right  with  her  female 
children,  and  India  with  her  young  widows  on  the 
funeral  pile,  but  a  higher  civilization  has  prohibited  it. 

It  is  only  a  short  time  ago,  181 1,  when  Lord  Erskine 
in  the  House  of  Lords  advocated  justice  by  law  to  the 
lower  animals,  and  was  greeted  with  insult  and  derision. 
Sometime,  we  shall  erase  from  our  statute  books  our 
cruel  laws.  Sometime,  we  shall  pay  back  a  trifle  of  the 
great  debt  we  owe  for  the  love1  and  protection  given  us 
by  our  speechless  ones.  j  ,  s)JL.t  M  1 


